Semiconductor power device and method for producing same

ABSTRACT

A method for producing a semiconductor power device includes forming a gate trench from a surface of the semiconductor layer toward an inside thereof. A first insulation film is formed on the inner surface of the gate trench. The method also includes removing a part on a bottom surface of the gate trench in the first insulation film. A second insulation film having a dielectric constant higher than SiO2 is formed in such a way as to cover the bottom surface of the gate trench exposed by removing the first insulation film.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/257,991, filed onSep. 7, 2016, and allowed on Dec. 7, 2017, which was a division of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/983,206, filed on Aug. 1, 2013, and issued onOct. 18, 2016, as a U.S. Pat. No. 9,472,405, which was a National Stageapplication of PCT/JP2012/052290, filed on Feb. 1, 2012. The prior USapplications and the present continuation application claim the benefitof priority of Japanese application 2011-020729, filed on Feb. 2, 2011.The disclosures of these prior US and foreign applications areincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a semiconductor power device and amethod for producing the semiconductor power device.

BACKGROUND ART

Attention has heretofore been paid to a semiconductor power device foruse chiefly in a system, such as a motor control system or a powerconversion system, in various power electronics fields.

For example, FIG. 1 of Patent Literature 1 (PTL 1) discloses a Schottkybarrier diode in which SiC is employed. This Schottky barrier diode iscomposed of an n type 4H—SiC bulk substrate, an n type epitaxial layergrown on the bulk substrate, an oxide film that is formed on a surfaceof the epitaxial layer and by which the surface of the epitaxial layeris partially exposed, and a Schottky electrode that is formed in anopening of the oxide film and that makes a Schottky junction with theepitaxial layer.

Additionally, FIG. 4 of Patent Literature 1 discloses a vertical MISfield-effect transistor in which SiC is employed. This vertical MISfield-effect transistor is composed of an n type 4H—SiC bulk substrate,an n type epitaxial layer grown on the bulk substrate, an n typeimpurity region (source region) formed on a surface part of theepitaxial layer, a p type well region formed contiguously to both sidesof the n type impurity region, a gate oxide film formed on a surface ofthe epitaxial layer, and a gate electrode that faces the p type wellregion with the gate oxide film therebetween.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-79339

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

In the Schottky barrier diode and the transistor of Patent Literature 1,a greater electric field will be applied to a material contiguous to theSiC epitaxial layer than an electric field to be applied to theepitaxial layer if an avalanche breakdown occurs during the applicationof reverse bias.

For example, in accordance with Gauss law, an electric field E_(SiO2) tobe applied to the oxide film of the Schottky barrier diode is expressedas E_(SiO2)=(ε_(SiC)/ε_(SiO2))·E_(SiC)=(10/3.9) ε_(SiC)=about 2.5E_(SiC)MV/cm. In other words, an electric field is applied to the oxidefilm, which is about 2.5 times as great as an electric field E_(SiC) tobe applied to SiC. In the formula, ε_(SiC) designates the relativedielectric constant of SiC with respect to a vacuum, and ε_(SiO2)designates the relative dielectric constant of SiO₂ with respect to avacuum.

Therefore, when an avalanche breakdown occurs (when a high voltage isapplied), the oxide film is liable to cause an insulation breakdown,thus bringing about a reduction in avalanche resistance.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductorpower device capable of reducing the breakdown of an insulation filmwhen a high voltage is applied to a breakdown voltage holding layer andto provide a method for producing the semiconductor power device.

Solution to Problem

The semiconductor power device of the present invention to achieve theaforementioned object includes a first electrode and a second electrode,a breakdown voltage holding layer that is made of a semiconductor havinga predetermined thickness and a predetermined impurity concentration, towhich the first electrode and the second electrode are joined, and thathas an active region in which carriers to generate electric conductionbetween the first electrode and the second electrode move, and aninsulation film that is formed on the breakdown voltage holding layerand that has a high dielectric-constant portion having a higherdielectric constant than SiO₂ at a part contiguous to the breakdownvoltage holding layer.

According to this arrangement, the part contiguous to the breakdownvoltage holding layer in the insulation film is made of the highdielectric-constant portion having a higher dielectric constant thanSiO₂. Therefore, an electric field E_(High-k) to be applied to the partcontiguous to the breakdown voltage holding layer in the insulation filmcan be weakened in a state in which a high voltage has been appliedbetween the first electrode and the second electrode.

For example, the relative dielectric constant of the highdielectric-constant portion with respect to a vacuum is designated byε_(High-k), and the relative dielectric constant of the breakdownvoltage holding layer with respect to a vacuum is designated by ε₀, andthe relative dielectric constant of SiO₂ with respect to a vacuum isdesignated by E_(SiO2), and the electric field to be applied to thebreakdown voltage holding layer is designated by E₀. In this case, inaccordance with Gauss law, an electric field E_(High-k) is expressed asE_(High-k)=(ε₀/ε_(High-k))·E₀ . . . (1). On the other hand, if theinsulation film is made of SiO₂, an electric field E_(SiO2) to beapplied to the insulation film (SiO₂ film) is expressed asE_(SiO2)=(ε₀/ε_(SiO2))·E₀ . . . (2). From a comparison between Formulas(1) and (2), ε_(High-k)>ε_(SiO2), and hence E_(high-k)<E_(SiO2).

In other words, the electric field to be applied to the insulation filmcan be weakened by providing the high dielectric-constant portion at thepart contiguous to the breakdown voltage holding layer in the insulationfilm. As a result, the breakdown of the insulation film can be reduced.

The insulation film formed on the breakdown voltage holding layer ismerely required to have a part that is made of a highdielectric-constant material contiguous to the breakdown voltage holdinglayer, and may have a laminated structure including a highdielectric-constant insulation film that is the high dielectric-constantportion contiguous to the breakdown voltage holding layer and a lowdielectric-constant insulation film that is stacked on the highdielectric-constant insulation film and that has a lower dielectricconstant than the high dielectric-constant insulation film.

The high dielectric-constant portion may be formed to be contiguous to adevice outer-peripheral part surrounding the active region.

This makes it possible to reduce the breakdown of the insulation filmcaused by an electric field even if the electric field concentrates atthe device outer-peripheral part regardless of the kind of a devicestructure formed at the active region (e.g., Schottky barrier diodestructure, MISFET structure, JFET structure, or bipolar transistorstructure).

Preferably, the high dielectric-constant portion is made of SiN(relative dielectric constant ε_(SiN)=about 7.5) or Al₂O₃ (relativedielectric constant ε_(Al2O3)=about 8.5) or AlON (relative dielectricconstant ε_(AlON)=about 6).

The breakdown voltage holding layer may be made of a wide bandgapsemiconductor (bandgap Eg is, for example, 2 eV or more and, preferably,2.5 eV to 7 eV), and, more specifically, may be made of SiC (bandgapEg_(SiC)=about 3.2 eV) or GaN (bandgap Eg_(GaN)=about 3.4 eV) or diamond(bandgap Eg_(dia)=about 5.5 eV).

The breakdown voltage holding layer may be made of a compoundsemiconductor. The compound semiconductor includes a mixed-crystalsemiconductor of a binary compound typified by, for example, a GroupIII-V compound showing high electron mobility and a Group II-VI compoundthat has many materials each of which has a wide bandgap, and a ternaryor greater compound made thereof, and the compound semiconductor ispartially overlapped with the aforementioned wide bandgap semiconductor.

Typical examples of Group III-V compounds are GaAs (bandgapEg_(GaAS)=about 1.4 eV), AlAs (bandgap Eg_(AlAs)=about 2.1 eV), GaN(bandgap Eg_(GaN)=about 3.4 eV), and MN (bandgap Eg_(AlN)=about 6.2 eV).

Typical examples of Group II-VI compounds are ZnSe (bandgapEg_(ZnSe)=about 2.8 eV), ZnS (bandgap Eg_(ZnS)=about 3.8 eV), CdTe(bandgap EgC_(dTe)=about 1.6 eV), ZnTe (bandgap Eg_(ZnTe)=about 2.4 eV),and CdS (bandgap Eg_(CdS)=about 2.5 eV).

Preferably, the first electrode includes a Schottky electrode thatpenetrates the field insulation film and that makes a Schottky junctionwith the breakdown voltage holding layer, and, when the second electrodeincludes an ohmic electrode making an ohmic contact with the breakdownvoltage holding layer, the insulation film includes a field insulationfilm formed on a surface of the breakdown voltage holding layer, and thefield insulation film has the high dielectric-constant portion at a partcontiguous to an outer peripheral area of the Schottky junction in thebreakdown voltage holding layer.

This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the breakdown of theinsulation film in the outer peripheral area (area near the terminal ofthe Schottky electrode) of the Schottky junction at which an electricfield is relatively liable to concentrate. Preferably, in the activeregion, the breakdown voltage holding layer has a field-effecttransistor structure including a first conductivity type source region,a second conductivity type body region contiguous to the source region,and a first conductivity type drift region contiguous to the bodyregion, and the first electrode includes a source electrode electricallyconnected to the source region, and, when the second electrode includesa drain electrode electrically connected to the drift region, the highdielectric-constant portion is formed to be contiguous to the driftregion.

Preferably, when the field-effect transistor structure includes avertical transistor structure in which the source region and the driftregion are disposed apart from each other with the body regiontherebetween in a vertical direction perpendicular to the surface of thebreakdown voltage holding layer, the vertical transistor structureincludes a source trench that reaches the drift region from the surfaceof the breakdown voltage holding layer through the source region and thebody region, and the source electrode is contiguous to the sourceregion, the body region, and the drift region in the source trench.

According to this arrangement, the field-effect transistor structure isa vertical structure, and therefore a high electric current can beallowed to easily flow, and high withstanding voltage and lowon-resistance can be easily secured.

Preferably, the field-effect transistor structure has a trench gatestructure including a gate trench formed in such a way as to straddlethe source region, the body region, and the drift region, and, when agate electrode facing the body region is formed in the gate trench, theinsulation film includes a gate insulation film interposed between thegate electrode and an inner surface of the gate trench, and has the highdielectric-constant portion at a part contiguous to a bottom surface ofthe gate trench in the gate insulation film and/or a corner portion ofthe gate trench.

This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the breakdown of the gateinsulation film in the bottom portion and the corner portion of the gatetrench at which an electric field is relatively liable to concentrate inthe MISFET having a trench gate structure.

The thus formed gate insulation film is merely required to have a partthat is made of a high dielectric-constant material contiguous to thebottom surface of the gate trench and/or the corner portion of the gatetrench, and may have a laminated structure including a highdielectric-constant gate insulation film that is the highdielectric-constant portion at the part contiguous to the bottom surfaceof the gate trench and/or the corner portion of the gate trench and alow dielectric-constant gate insulation film that is stacked on the highdielectric-constant gate insulation film and that has a dielectricconstant lower than the high dielectric-constant gate insulation film.

Preferably, when the breakdown voltage holding layer is made of SiC, thegate insulation film is made of Al₂O₃.

This arrangement makes it possible to make the dielectric constant ofthe gate insulation film higher than SiO₂ while maintaining a relativelyhigh barrier height with respect to the breakdown voltage holding layermade of SiC. As a result, a leakage current near the body region causedby a quantum tunnel effect can be reduced.

In the gate insulation film, a part contiguous to the body region in aside surface of the gate trench may be made of an SiO₂ film. Preferably,if so, an insulation film that has a dielectric constant higher thanSiO₂ is stacked on the SiO₂ film.

When the breakdown voltage holding layer is made of SiC having an Si(silicon) plane at its surface, the gate trench may be formed toward aninside of the breakdown voltage holding layer from the Si plane of thebreakdown voltage holding layer made of SiC.

The high dielectric-constant portion may be formed only at the bottomsurface of the gate trench in the gate insulation film and/or the cornerportion of the gate trench.

Preferably, when the field-effect transistor structure has a planar gatestructure in which a gate electrode faces the body region with a gateinsulation film formed on the surface of the breakdown voltage holdinglayer therebetween, the insulation film includes an interlayerinsulation film formed on the breakdown voltage holding layer in such away that the gate electrode is covered therewith, and the interlayerinsulation film has the high dielectric-constant portion at a partcontiguous to a transistor periphery surrounding the planar gatestructure.

This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the breakdown of theinterlayer insulation film contiguous to the transistor periphery atwhich an electric field is relatively liable to concentrate in theMISFET having a planar gate structure.

A method for producing a semiconductor power device of the presentinvention is a method for producing the semiconductor power devicehaving a semiconductor layer made of SiC and a trench-gate typetransistor structure formed in the semiconductor layer, the trench-gatetype transistor structure including a first conductivity type sourceregion, a second conductivity type body region contiguous to the sourceregion, a first conductivity type drift region contiguous to the bodyregion, a gate trench formed in such a way as to straddle the sourceregion, the body region, and the drift region, a gate insulation filmformed on an inner surface of the gate trench, and a gate electrodefacing the body region with the gate insulation film therebetween, andthe method includes a step of forming the gate trench from an Si(silicon) plane of the semiconductor layer toward an inside thereof, astep of forming a first insulation film made of SiO₂ on the innersurface of the gate trench, a step of removing a part on a bottomsurface of the gate trench in the first insulation film, and a step offorming a second insulation film having a dielectric constant higherthan SiO₂ in such a way as to cover the bottom surface of the gatetrench exposed by removing the first insulation film.

According to this method, the bottom surface of the gate trench isformed as an Si plane, and therefore, when the first insulation film(SiO₂ film) is formed, a part on the bottom surface (Si plane) of thegate trench in the SiO₂ film becomes thinner than a part on the sidesurface of the gate trench in the SiO₂ film. Therefore, the possibilityof generating the breakdown of the insulation film in the bottom portionand the corner portion of the gate trench at which an electric field isrelatively liable to concentrate will be enhanced if the bottom surfacepart of the first insulation film remains.

Therefore, in the present invention, a part on the bottom surface of thegate trench in the first insulation film is removed, and the secondinsulation film (high dielectric-constant film) is formed such that apart exposed by the removal is covered therewith. As a result, a part atwhich an electric field is liable to concentrate can be covered with thehigh dielectric-constant film.

On the other hand, the SiO₂ film can remain at the side surface of thegate trench, and therefore a gate insulation film made of SiO₂ can beformed between the channel and the gate electrode.

The step of forming the first insulation film may be a step of formingthe first insulation film by a thermal oxidation method, and the step offorming the second insulation film may be a step of forming the secondinsulation film by a CVD method.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a Schottky barrier diode according toa first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the Schottky barrier diode of FIG. 1, andshows a cutting plane along cutting-plane line A-A of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a schematic sectional view showing a part of steps ofproducing the Schottky barrier diode of FIG. 2, and shows a cuttingplane at the same position as in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3B is a view showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C is a view showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 3B.

FIG. 4A is a schematic plan view of a trench-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, andis an overall view.

FIG. 4B is a schematic plan view of a trench-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, andis an internal enlarged view.

FIG. 5 is sectional views of the trench-gate type MIS transistor ofFIGS. 4A and 4B, showing cutting planes along cutting-plane lines B-Band C-C of FIG. 4B, respectively.

FIG. 6A is schematic sectional views showing a part of steps ofproducing the trench-gate type MIS transistor of FIG. 5, and each viewshows a cutting plane at the same position as in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6B is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 6B.

FIG. 6D is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 6C.

FIG. 6E is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 6D.

FIG. 6F is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 6E.

FIG. 7 is schematic sectional views showing a first modification of thetrench-gate type MIS transistor of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is schematic sectional views showing a second modification of thetrench-gate type MIS transistor of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is schematic sectional views of a trench-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10A is schematic sectional views showing a part of steps ofproducing the trench-gate type MIS transistor of FIG. 9, and each viewshows a cutting plane at the same position as in FIG. 9.

FIG. 10B is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10C is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 10B.

FIG. 10D is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 10C.

FIG. 10E is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 10D.

FIG. 10F is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 10E.

FIG. 10G is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 10F.

FIG. 10H is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 10G.

FIG. 10I is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 10H.

FIG. 11A is a schematic plan view of a planar-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention, andis an overall view.

FIG. 11B is a schematic plan view of a planar-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention, andis an internal enlarged view.

FIG. 12 is sectional views of the planar-gate type MIS transistor ofFIGS. 11A and 11B, showing cutting planes along cutting-plane lines D-Dand E-E of FIG. 11B, respectively.

FIG. 13A is schematic sectional views showing a part of steps ofproducing the planar-gate type MIS transistor of FIG. 12, and each viewshows a cutting plane at the same position as in FIG. 12.

FIG. 13B is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 13A.

FIG. 13C is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 13B.

FIG. 13D is views showing a step subsequent to that of FIG. 13C.

FIG. 14A is a schematic plan view of a trench-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention, andis an overall view.

FIG. 14B is a schematic plan view of a trench-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention, andis an internal enlarged view.

FIG. 15 is sectional views of the trench-gate type MIS transistor ofFIGS. 14A and 14B, showing cutting planes along cutting-plane lines F-F,G-G, and H-H of FIG. 14B, respectively.

FIG. 16 is schematic sectional views of a trench-gate type MIStransistor according to a sixth preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, and each view shows a cutting plane at the same position asin FIG. 15.

FIG. 17A is a schematic plan view of a planar-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention,and is an overall view.

FIG. 17B is a schematic plan view of a planar-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention,and is an internal enlarged view.

FIG. 18 is sectional views of the planar-gate type MIS transistor ofFIGS. 17A and 17B, showing cutting planes along cutting-plane lines I-Iand J-J of

FIG. 17B, respectively.

FIG. 19A is a schematic plan view of a trench-gate type MIS transistoraccording to an eighth preferred embodiment of the present invention,and is an overall view.

FIG. 19B is a schematic plan view of a trench-gate type MIS transistoraccording to an eighth preferred embodiment of the present invention,and is an internal enlarged view.

FIG. 20 is sectional views of the trench-gate type MIS transistor ofFIGS. 19A and 19B, showing cutting planes along cutting-plane lines K-Kand L-L of FIG. 19B, respectively.

FIG. 21A is a view showing a modification of the layout of the MIStransistor of FIGS. 14A and 14B, and is an overall view.

FIG. 21B is a view showing a modification of the layout of the MIStransistor of FIGS. 14A and 14B, and is an internal enlarged view.

FIG. 22A is a schematic plan view of a trench-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a ninth preferred embodiment of the present invention, andis an overall view.

FIG. 22B is a schematic plan view of a trench-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a ninth preferred embodiment of the present invention, andis an internal enlarged view.

FIG. 23 is sectional views of the trench-gate type MIS transistor ofFIGS. 22A and 22B, showing cutting planes along cutting-plane lines M-Mand N-N of FIG. 22B, respectively.

FIG. 24A is a schematic plan view of a planar-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a tenth preferred embodiment of the present invention, andis an overall view.

FIG. 24B is a schematic plan view of a planar-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a tenth preferred embodiment of the present invention, andis an internal enlarged view.

FIG. 25 is sectional views of the planar-gate type MIS transistor of

FIGS. 24A and 24B, showing cutting planes along cutting-plane lines O-Oand P-P of FIG. 24B, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafterdescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a Schottky barrier diode according toa first preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is asectional view of the Schottky barrier diode of FIG. 1, and shows acutting plane along cutting-plane line A-A of FIG. 1.

The Schottky barrier diode 1 is a Schottky barrier diode that employsSiC (i.e., a wide bandgap semiconductor having a bandgap width of about3.26 eV), and, for example, is a square chip when viewed planarly asshown in FIG. 1.

The chip-shaped Schottky barrier diode 1 has a length of severalmillimeters (mm) in each of up, down, right, and left directions in thesheet of FIG. 1.

The Schottky barrier diode 1 has an n+ type SiC substrate 2 (whoseconcentration is, for example, 1×10¹⁸ to 1×10²¹ cm⁻³). A cathodeelectrode 3 serving as an ohmic electrode (second electrode) is formedon the reverse surface of the SiC substrate 2 in such a way as to coverthe whole area of the reverse surface. The cathode electrode 3 is madeof a metal (for example, Ni silicide or Co silicide) that comes intoohmic contact with n type SiC.

An n⁻ type SiC epitaxial layer 4 (whose concentration is, for example,1×10¹⁵ to 1×10¹⁷ cm⁻³) having a lower concentration than the SiCsubstrate 2 is stacked on the surface of the SiC substrate 2. Thethickness of the SiC epitaxial layer 4 serving as a breakdown voltageholding layer is, for example, 1 μm to 100 μm.

A field insulation film 8 is stacked on the surface of the SiC epitaxiallayer 4. The field insulation film 8 has an opening 6 by which a part ofthe SiC epitaxial layer 4 is exposed as an active region 5. A fieldregion 7 that is a device-outer peripheral part surrounding the activeregion 5 is covered with the field insulation film 8.

The field insulation film 8 is made of a high dielectric-constantinsulation material (hereinafter, referred to as a “high-k material”)having a dielectric constant (which denotes a relative dielectricconstant ε_(r) with respect to a vacuum and which is hereinafterreferred to simply as a “relative dielectric constant ε_(r)”) that ishigher than SiO₂ (silicon oxide).

More specifically, the field insulation film 8 is made of SiN (siliconnitride), Al₂O₃ (alumina) or AlON (aluminum oxynitride). With regard torelative dielectric constants ε_(r) of these materials, the relativedielectric constant ε_(SiN) of SiN is 7.5, the relative dielectricconstant ε_(Al2O3) of Al₂O₃ is about 8.5, and the relative dielectricconstant ε_(AlON) of AlON is 6. The thickness of the field insulationfilm 8 is, for example, 1000 Å or more, and is, preferably, 3000 Å to30000 Å.

An anode electrode 9 serving as a first electrode is formed on the fieldinsulation film 8.

The anode electrode 9 has a two-layer structure consisting of a Schottkymetal joined to the SiC epitaxial layer 4 in the opening 6 of the fieldinsulation film 8 and a contact metal 11 stacked on the Schottky metal10.

The Schottky metal 10 is made of a metal (for example, Ni or Au) thatmakes a Schottky junction by being joined to an n type SiC. The Schottkymetal 10 joined to SiC forms a Schottky barrier (potential barrier)having a height of, for example, 0.7 eV to 1.7 eV between the Schottkymetal 10 and the SiC semiconductor.

The Schottky metal 10 projects outwardly from the opening 6 in aflange-like manner in such a way that a peripheral edge 12 of theopening 6 in the field insulation film 8 is covered therewith fromabove. In other words, the peripheral edge 12 of the field insulationfilm 8 is put from both of its upper and lower sides over the wholecircumference by means of the SiC epitaxial layer 4 and the Schottkymetal 10. Therefore, an outer peripheral area of the Schottky junctionin the SiC epitaxial layer 4 (i.e., an inner edge 13 of the field region7) is covered with the peripheral edge 12 of the field insulation film 8made of SiC.

The amount X of protrusion of the field insulation film 8 from the endof the opening 6 of the anode electrode 9 with which the peripheral edge12 of the field insulation film 8 is covered is, for example, 10 μm ormore, and is, preferably, 10 μm to 100 μm.

The thickness of the Schottky metal 10 is, for example, 0.01 μm to 5 μmin the first preferred embodiment.

The contact metal 11 is a part that is exposed at the topmost surface ofthe Schottky barrier diode 1 in the anode electrode 9 and to which abonding wire or the like is joined. The contact metal 11 is made of, forexample, Al.

The contact metal 11 projects outwardly from the opening 6 in aflange-like manner in such a way that the peripheral edge 12 of theopening 6 in the field insulation film 8 is covered therewith from abovein the same way as the Schottky metal 10.

The thickness of the contact metal 11 is greater than that of theSchottky metal 10, and is, for example, 0.5 μm to 10 μm in the firstpreferred embodiment.

A surface protection film 14 is formed on the topmost surface of theSchottky barrier diode 1. An opening 15 by which the contact metal 11 isexposed is formed at a central part of the surface protection film 14. Abonding wire or the like is joined to the contact metal 11 through theopening 15.

A p type guard ring 16 is formed on a surface layer part of the SiCepitaxial layer 4 so as to be contiguous to the Schottky metal 10 of theanode electrode 9. The guard ring 16 is formed along the outline of theopening 6 so as to straddle the inside and outside of the opening 6 ofthe field insulation film 8 (so as to straddle the active region 5 andthe field region 7) when viewed planarly. Therefore, the guard ring 16includes an inner part 18 that projects inwardly from the opening 6 andthat is contiguous to an outer edge 17 serving as a terminal of theSchottky metal 10 in the opening 6 and an outer part 19 that projectsoutwardly from the opening 6 and that faces the anode electrode 9 (theSchottky metal 10) with the peripheral edge 12 of the field insulationfilm 8 therebetween.

The width W₁ of the inner part 18 of the guard ring 16 is 1 μm to 50 μm,and the width W₂ of the outer part 19 of the guard ring 16 is 1 μm to500 μm. The overall width W of the guard ring 16 that is the total ofthese widths W₁ and W₂ is, for example, μm to 550 μm. The depth D fromthe surface of the SiC epitaxial layer 4 of the guard ring 16 is, forexample, 1000 Å or more, and is, preferably, 2000 Å to 7000 Å.

In the Schottky barrier diode 1, a forward bias state is reached inwhich a positive voltage is applied to the anode electrode 9 and inwhich a negative voltage is applied to the cathode electrode 3, and, asa result, electrons (carriers) move from the cathode electrode 3 to theanode electrode 9 through the active region 5 of the SiC epitaxial layer4, and an electric current flows.

FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C are schematic sectional views showing a part of stepsof producing the Schottky barrier diode of FIG. 2, and each view shows acutting plane at the same position as in FIG. 2.

To produce the Schottky barrier diode 1, SiC crystals are grown on thesurface (Si plane) of the SiC substrate 2 while being doped with n typeimpurities (for example, N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus), As (arsenic),etc.) according to an epitaxial growth method, such as a CVD (ChemicalVapor Deposition) method, an LPE (Liquid Phase Epitaxy) method, or anMBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) method, as shown in FIG. 3A. As a result,an n⁻ type SiC epitaxial layer 4 is formed on the SiC substrate 2.

Thereafter, p type impurities (for example, Al (aluminum), B (boron),etc.) are implanted into the SiC epitaxial layer 4 from the surface ofthe SiC epitaxial layer 4.

Thereafter, the SiC epitaxial layer 4 is heat-treated at, for example,1400° C. to 2000° C. As a result, ions of the p type impuritiesimplanted into the surface layer part of the SiC epitaxial layer 4 areactivated, and the guard ring 16 is formed. The heat-treatment of theSiC epitaxial layer 4 can be performed, for example, by controlling aresistance heating furnace or a high frequency induction heating furnaceat a suitable temperature.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3B, the field insulation film 8 made of ahigh-k material is stacked on the SiC epitaxial layer 4 according to theCVD method.

Thereafter, the field insulation film 8 undergoes patterning accordingto a well-known patterning technique, and, as a result, the opening 6 bywhich the active region 5 of the SiC epitaxial layer 4 is exposed isformed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3C, a material for the Schottky metal 10and a material for the contact metal 11 are stacked in this orderaccording to a sputtering method or a vapor deposition method.Thereafter, these metals stacked on each other undergo patterningaccording to a well-known patterning technique, and the anode electrode9 made of the Schottky metal 10 and the contact metal 11 is formed.

Thereafter, the cathode electrode 3 is formed on the reverse surface ofthe SiC substrate 2, and the surface protection film 14 is formed suchthat the surface of the SiC epitaxial layer 4 is covered therewith.

The Schottky barrier diode 1 of FIG. 2 is obtained through these steps.

As described above, according to the first preferred embodiment, thefield insulation film 8 is made of the high-k material (e.g., SiN, Al₂O₃or AlON). Therefore, a great reverse voltage is applied between theanode electrode 9 and the cathode electrode 3, and, even if an avalanchebreakdown occurs, an electric field E_(High-k) to be applied to thefield insulation film 8 can be weakened.

For example, if the field insulation film 8 is made of Al₂O₃, anelectric field E_(High-k) to be applied to the field insulation film 8is expressed asE_(Al2O3)=(ε_(SiC)/E_(Al2O3))·E_(SiC)=(10/8.5)·E_(SiC)=about 1.2ε_(SiC)MV/cm . . . (1) in accordance with Gauss law.

On the other hand, if the field insulation film 8 is made of SiO₂, anelectric field E_(SiO2) to be applied to the field insulation film (SiO₂film) 8 is expressed asE_(SiO2)=(ε_(SiC)/ε_(SiO2))·E_(SiC)=(10/3.9)·E_(SiC)=about 2.5ε_(SiC)MV/cm . . . (2).

As a result of Formulas (1) and (2), the electric field E_(High-k) inthe field insulation film 8 made of Al₂O₃ can become about 0.48 times aslow as the field insulation film 8 made of SiO₂. As a result, thebreakdown of the field insulation film 8 can be reduced.

Particularly in the structure of the Schottky barrier diode 1 accordingto the first preferred embodiment, the electric field is liable toconcentrate near the outer edge 17 (i.e., the inner edge 13 of the fieldregion 7) of the anode electrode 9 (the Schottky metal 10).

Therefore, if the whole of the field insulation film 8 is made of ahigh-k material as in the first preferred embodiment, the fieldinsulation film 8 made of the high-k material can also be brought intocontact with the inner edge 13 of the field region 7. Therefore, thebreakdown of the field insulation film 8 can be effectively reduced.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic plan views of a trench-gate type MIStransistor according to a second preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, FIG. 4A being an overall view, FIG. 4B being an internalenlarged view. FIG. 5 is sectional views of the trench-gate type MIStransistor of FIGS. 4A and 4B, showing cutting planes alongcutting-plane lines B-B and C-C of FIG. 4B, respectively.

The MIS transistor 21 is a trench-gate type DMISFET (Double diffusedMetal Insulator Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) in which SiC isemployed, and, as shown in FIG. 4A, is shaped like, for example, asquare chip when viewed planarly. The chip-shaped MIS transistor 21 hasa length of several millimeters (mm) in each of up, down, right, andleft directions in the sheet of FIG. 4A.

A source pad 22 is formed on the surface of the MIS transistor 21. Thesource pad 22 has a substantially square shape when viewed planarly inwhich its four corners are bent outwardly, and is formed such thatsubstantially all area of the surface of the MIS transistor 21 iscovered therewith. In the source pad 22, a removal region 23 is formednear the center of its one side. This removal region 23 is a region inwhich the source pad 22 is not formed.

A gate pad 24 is disposed in the removal region 23. A gap is madebetween the gate pad 24 and the source pad 22, which are insulated fromeach other.

Next, an internal structure of the MIS transistor 21 will be described.

The MIS transistor 21 includes an e type SiC substrate 25 (whoseconcentration is, for example, 1×10¹⁸ to 1×10²¹ cm⁻³). The SiC substrate25 functions as a drain of the MIS transistor 21 in the second preferredembodiment, and its surface (upper surface) 26 is an Si plane, whereasits reverse surface (lower surface) 27 is a C plane.

An n⁻ type SiC epitaxial layer 28 (whose concentration is, for example,1×10¹⁵ to 1×10¹⁷ cm⁻³) that has a lower concentration than the SiCsubstrate 25 is stacked on the surface 26 of the SiC substrate 25. Thethickness of the SiC epitaxial layer 28 serving as a breakdown voltageholding layer is, for example, 1 μm to 100 μm. The SiC epitaxial layer28 is formed on the SiC substrate 25 by means of so-called epitaxialgrowth. In the SiC epitaxial layer 28 formed on the surface 26 that isan Si plane, the Si plane is grown as a growth principal plane.Therefore, the surface 29 of the SiC epitaxial layer 28 formed by growthis an Si plane in the same way as the surface 26 of the SiC substrate25.

As shown in FIG. 4A, an active region 30 that is disposed at the centralpart of the SiC epitaxial layer 28 when viewed planarly and thatfunctions as the MIS transistor 21 and a transistor-surrounding region31 that surrounds the active region 30 are formed in the MIS transistor21.

Many p type body regions 32 (whose concentration is, for example,1.0×10¹⁶ cm⁻³ to 1.0×10¹⁹ cm⁻³) are formed and arranged at a surfacelayer part of the SiC epitaxial layer 28 in the active region 30 in amatrix manner in row-wise and column-wise directions at constantpitches. Each body region 32 has a square shape when viewed planarly,and has a length of, for example, about 7.2 μm in each of up, down,right, and left directions in the sheet of FIG. 4B.

On the other hand, the region closer to the SiC substrate 25 than thebody region 32 in the SiC epitaxial layer 28 is an n⁻ type drift region33 in which a state without being changed after epitaxial growth ismaintained.

An n⁺ type source region 34 (whose concentration is, for example, 1×10¹⁸to 1×10²¹ cm⁻³) is formed in a substantially whole area closer to thesurface 29 in each body region 32.

A gate trench 35 that reaches the drift region 33 from the surface 29 ofthe SiC epitaxial layer 28 through each source region 34 and each bodyregion 32 is formed in such a way as to surround each body region 32.

As a result, many unit cells each of which functions as a field-effecttransistor and each of which has a rectangular parallelepiped shape (asquare shape when viewed planarly) are formed in the SiC epitaxial layer28. In the unit cell, the depth direction of the gate trench 35 is agate length direction, and the circumferential direction of each unitcell perpendicular to the gate length direction is a gate widthdirection.

The gate trench 35 is shaped like the letter U in cross section in whichcorner portions 36 of both ends in a direction perpendicular to the gatewidth in its bottom portion (i.e., in a direction facing an adjoiningunit cell) are bent toward the drift region 33 and in which a sidesurface 37 and a bottom surface 38 facing each other are continuous witheach other through a curved plane. This makes it possible to disperse anelectric field to be applied to the corner portions 36 of both ends inthe bottom portion of the gate trench 35 to parts other than the cornerportions 36 when the unit cell is turned off, and hence makes itpossible to restrain the insulation breakdown of parts on the bottomsurface 38 in a gate insulation film 39 (described later).

The gate insulation film 39 is formed on the inner surface of the gatetrench 35 such that its whole area is covered therewith. The gateinsulation film 39 is made of a high-k material (e.g., SiN, Al₂O₃, orAlON).

The inside of the gate insulation film 39 is completely filled with apolysilicon material doped with highly-concentrated n type impurities,and, as a result, a gate electrode 40 is buried in the gate trench 35. Avertical MIS transistor structure is thus created in which the sourceregion 34 and the drift region 33 are arranged apart from each otherwith the body region 32 therebetween in a vertical directionperpendicular to the surface 29 of the SiC epitaxial layer 28.

A source trench 41 that reaches the drift region 33 from the surface 29of the SiC epitaxial layer 28 through each source region 34 and eachbody region 32 is formed in the central part of each unit cell. Thedepth of the source trench 41 is the same as that of the gate trench 35in the second preferred embodiment. In the same way as the gate trench35, the source trench 41 is shaped like the letter U in cross section inwhich corner portions 42 of both ends in a direction perpendicular tothe gate width in its bottom portion (i.e., in a direction facing anadjoining unit cell) are bent toward the drift region 33 and in which aside surface 43 and a bottom surface 44 facing each other are continuouswith each other through a curved plane.

P type impurities (whose concentration is, for example, 1.0×10¹⁶ cm⁻³ to1.0×10¹⁹ cm⁻³) are selectively injected into the drift region 33, and,as a result, a p type region 45 is formed at a part exposed in thesource trench 41 of each unit cell. As a result, in a part closer to theSiC substrate 25 with respect to the source region 34 in the innersurface of the source trench 41 (i.e., in a part deeper than the lowerend of the source region 34 in the bottom surface 44 and the sidesurface 43), its whole area is a p type region.

A p⁺ type body contact region 46 (whose impurity concentration is, forexample, 1.0×10¹⁸ cm⁻³ to 2.0×10²¹ cm⁻³) is formed at the central partof the bottom surface 44 of the source trench 41.

In the transistor-surrounding region 31, a plurality of p type guardrings 47 (four in the second preferred embodiment) are formed at thesurface layer part of the SiC epitaxial layer 28 apart from the activeregion 30 in such a way as to surround the unit cells (the active region30) arranged in a matrix manner. These guard rings 47 can be formedthrough the same ion implantation step as the step of forming the p typebody region 32.

Each guard ring 47 is formed to have a planarly-viewed quadrangularannular shape along the outer periphery of the MIS transistor 21 whenviewed planarly. The depth of the guard ring 47 from the surface 29 ofthe SiC epitaxial layer 28 is substantially the same as that of the bodyregion 32, and is, for example, 2000 Å or more, and is, preferably, 3000Å to 10000 Å.

An interlayer insulation film 48 is stacked on the SiC epitaxial layer28 such that the gate electrode 40 is covered therewith. The interlayerinsulation film 48 is made of a high-k material (e.g., SiN, Al₂O₃, orAlON).

A contact hole 49 larger in diameter than the source trench 41 is formedin the interlayer insulation film 48 and the gate insulation film 39. Asa result, the whole of the source trench 41 of each unit cell (i.e., theside surface 43 and the bottom surface 44 of the source trench 41) andthe peripheral edge of the source trench 41 in the surface 29 of the SiCepitaxial layer 28 are exposed in the contact hole 49, and a leveldifference corresponding to a difference in level between the surface 29and the bottom surface 44 is made.

A source electrode 50 serving as a first electrode is formed on theinterlayer insulation film 48. The source electrode 50 enters the sourcetrenches 41 of all unit cells through each contact hole 49 in the lump,and, in each unit cell, is in contact with the body contact region 46,the p type region 45, the body region 32, and the source region 34 inorder from the bottom side of the source trench 41. In other words, thesource electrode 50 serves as a wire shared among all unit cells.

An interlayer insulation film (not shown) is formed on the sourceelectrode 50, and the source electrode 50 is electrically connected tothe source pad 22 (see FIG. 4A) through this interlayer insulation film(not shown). On the other hand, the gate pad 24 (see FIG. 4A) iselectrically connected to the gate electrode 40 through a gate wire (notshown) laid on this interlayer insulation film (not shown).

The source electrode 50 has a structure in which, for example, a Ti/TiNlayer and an Al layer are stacked in order from the contact side withthe SiC epitaxial layer 28.

A drain electrode 51 serving as a second electrode is formed on thereverse surface 27 of the SiC substrate 25 such that the whole area ofthe reverse surface 27 is covered therewith. The drain electrode 51 isan electrode shared among all unit cells. A laminated structure(Ti/Ni/Au/Ag) in which, for example, Ti, Ni, Au, and Ag are stacked inorder from the side of the SiC substrate 25 can be employed as the drainelectrode 51.

In the MIS transistor 21, a voltage greater than a threshold voltage isapplied to the gate electrode 40 in a state in which a predeterminedpotential difference has been generated between the source electrode 50and the drain electrode 51 (at a source-drain interval). As a result, achannel is formed near an interface with the gate insulation film 39 inthe body region 32 by means of an electric field from the gate electrode40. Thus, electrons (carriers) move from the source electrode 50 to thedrain electrode 51 through the source region 34, the channel, and thedrift region 33 in the active region 30, and an electric current flows.

FIG. 6A to FIG. 6F are schematic sectional views showing a part of stepsof producing the trench-gate type MIS transistor of FIG. 5, and eachview shows a cutting plane at the same position as in FIG. 5.

To produce the MIS transistor 21, SiC crystals are grown on the surface(Si plane) 26 of the SiC substrate 25 while being doped with n typeimpurities (for example, N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus), As (arsenic),etc.) according to an epitaxial growth method, such as the CVD method,the LPE method, or the MBE method, as shown in FIG. 6A. As a result, ann⁻ type SiC epitaxial layer 28 is formed on the SiC substrate 25.

Thereafter, p type impurities (for example, Al (aluminum), B (boron),etc.) are implanted into the SiC epitaxial layer 28 from the surface 29of the SiC epitaxial layer 28.

Thereafter, n type impurities are implanted into the SiC epitaxial layer28 from the surface 29 of the SiC epitaxial layer 28.

Thereafter, the SiC epitaxial layer 28 is heat-treated at, for example,1400° C. to 2000° C. As a result, ions of the p type and n typeimpurities implanted into the surface layer part of the SiC epitaxiallayer 28 are activated, and, in accordance with impurity-implantedareas, the body region 32, the source region 34, and the guard ring 47are simultaneously formed. The drift region 33 maintaining a statewithout being changed after epitaxial growth is formed at a base layerpart of the SiC epitaxial layer 28.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6B, the SiC epitaxial layer 28 is etched byuse of a mask that has an opening in an area in which the gate trench 35and the source trench 41 are to be formed. As a result, the SiCepitaxial layer 28 undergoes dry etching from the surface (Si plane) 29,and the gate trench 35 and the source trench 41 are simultaneouslyformed. At the same time, many unit cells are formed in the SiCepitaxial layer 28. For example, a mixed gas (SF₆/O₂ gas) containing SF₆(sulfur hexafluoride) and O₂ (oxygen) or a mixed gas (SF₆/O₂/HBr gas)containing SF₆, O₂, and HBr (hydrogen bromide) can be used as theetching gas.

Thereafter, p type impurities are implanted into the drift region 33from the bottom surface 44 of the source trench 41. Implantation isperformed at a first stage at which ions relatively low in dose amountare implanted and at a second stage at which ions relatively high indose amount are implanted. Thereafter, the SiC epitaxial layer 28 isheat-treated at, for example, 1400° C. to 2000° C. As a result, ions ofthe p type impurities implanted into the drift region 33 are activated,and the p type region 45 and the body contact region 46 aresimultaneously formed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6C, a high-k material is deposited fromabove the SiC epitaxial layer 28 according to the CVD method. As aresult, the gate insulation film 39 is formed.

Thereafter, the doped polysilicon material 52 is deposited from abovethe SiC epitaxial layer 28 according to the CVD method. The polysiliconmaterial 52 is continuously deposited until at least the gate trench 35and the source trench 41 are completely filled therewith. Thereafter,the deposited polysilicon material 52 undergoes etchback until anetchback surface becomes flush with the surface 29 of the SiC epitaxiallayer 28.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6D, only the polysilicon material 52remaining in the source trench 41 is removed by dry etching. As aresult, the gate electrode 40 made of the polysilicon material 52remaining in the gate trench 35 is formed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6E, a high-k material is deposited fromabove the SiC epitaxial layer 28 according to the CVD method. As aresult, the interlayer insulation film 48 is formed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6F, the interlayer insulation film 48 andthe gate insulation film 39 continuously undergo patterning by awell-known patterning technique. As a result, the contact hole 49 isformed in the interlayer insulation film 48 and the gate insulation film39.

Thereafter, the source electrode 50, the drain electrode 51, etc., areformed, and, as a result, the MIS transistor 21 of FIG. 5 is obtained.

As described above, according to the second preferred embodiment, thegate insulation film 39 and the interlayer insulation film 48 that arecontiguous to the SiC epitaxial layer 28 are made of a high-k material(e.g., SiN, Al₂O₃, or AlON). Therefore, as is proven by a comparisonbetween Formulas (1) and (2) in the first preferred embodiment, anelectric field E_(High-k) to be applied to the gate insulation film 39and to the interlayer insulation film 48 can be weakened even if a greatreverse voltage is applied between the source electrodes 50 and thedrain electrode 51 so that an avalanche breakdown occurs. As a result,the breakdown of the gate insulation film 39 and the breakdown of theinterlayer insulation film 48 can be reduced. Therefore, a MIStransistor having high avalanche resistance can be provided.

Particularly in a trench-gate type structure, such as that of the MIStransistor 21 of the second preferred embodiment, an electric field isliable to concentrate at the corner portions 36 of both ends of the gatetrench 35 and at the bottom surface 38.

Therefore, if the whole of the gate insulation film 39 is made of ahigh-k material as in the second preferred embodiment, the gateinsulation film 39 made of the high-k material can also be brought intocontact with the corner portions 36 of both ends of the gate trench 35and with the bottom surface 38. Therefore, the breakdown of the gateinsulation film 39 can be effectively reduced.

Additionally, in the second preferred embodiment, it is more preferableto employ Al₂O₃ as the material of the gate insulation film 39 althoughthe high-k material of which the interlayer insulation film 48 is madeis recommended to be selected from among various high-k materials.

If the material of the gate insulation film 39 is Al₂O₃, the dielectricconstant of the gate insulation film 39 can be made greater than that ofSiO₂ while maintaining a relatively high barrier height with respect tothe SiC epitaxial layer 28. As a result, a leakage current near thechannel (the body region 32) caused by a quantum tunnel effect can bereduced.

As a result of a diligent examination by the present inventor, it hasbeen understood that HfO₂ and ZrO₂ known as high-k materials areunsuitable for the gate insulation film contiguous to SiC. In otherwords, it has been understood that if HfO₂ and ZrO₂ are used as thematerials of the gate insulation film 39 and are directly formed on SiC,the barrier height between HfO₂/ZrO₂ and SiC will become small, and,disadvantageously, a leakage current caused by the quantum tunnel effectwill increase near the channel

More specifically, when HfO₂ (bandgap Eg_(HfO2)=about 5.7 eV, relativedielectric constant ε_(HfO2)=about 24) is brought into contact with SiC,the barrier height on the electron side and the barrier height on thehole side are 1.3 eV (electron side) and 1.2 (hole side), respectively.Likewise, when ZrO₂ (bandgap Eg_(ZrO2)=about 5.8 eV, relative dielectricconstant ε_(ZrO2)=about 18) is brought into contact with SiC, thebarrier height on the electron side and the barrier height on the holeside are 1.3 eV (electron side) and 1.2 (hole side), respectively. Onthe other hand, when SiO₂ (bandgap Eg_(SiO2)=about 9 eV, relativedielectric constant ε_(SiO2)=about 3.9) is brought into contact withSiC, the barrier height on the electron side and the barrier height onthe hole side are 3.0 eV (electron side) and 2.8 (hole side),respectively. Therefore, it has been understood that, when HfO₂ and ZrO₂are used as the materials of the gate insulation film 39 and aredirectly formed on SiC, a leakage current becomes made greater than whenSiO₂ is used as the material of the gate insulation film 39.

On the other hand, when Al₂O₃ is brought into contact with SiC, thebarrier height on the electron side and the barrier height on the holeside are 2.6 eV (electron side) and 2.2 (hole side), respectively, andtherefore it is possible to maintain substantially the same barrierheight as when SiO₂ is employed. Moreover, Al₂O₃ is a high-k materialwhose relative dielectric constant ε_(Al2O3) is about 8.5, and thereforethe film thickness of the gate insulation film 39 can be obtained whileexcellently maintaining an interface state between the gate insulationfilm 39 and the body region 32. As a result, the leakage current can bemade even smaller than when SiO₂ is employed.

Additionally, the MIS transistor 21 has a vertical structure, andtherefore a high current can be allowed to easily flow, and highwithstanding voltage and low on-resistance can be easily secured.

Additionally, in a process for producing the MIS transistor 21, the gateinsulation film 39 is formed according to the CVD method, and thereforethe film thickness of a part on the side surface 37 in the gateinsulation film 39 can be more easily controlled than when that isformed according to the sputtering method.

In the second preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a gateinsulation film 53 made of SiO₂ may be employed instead of the gateinsulation film 39 made of the high-k material.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 8, an interlayer insulation film 54 madeof SiO₂ may be employed instead of the interlayer insulation film 48made of the high-k material.

FIG. 9 is schematic sectional views of a trench-gate type MIS transistoraccording to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. InFIG. 9, the same reference sign as in FIG. 5 is given to each componentequivalent to that of FIG. 5. Only differences between the structure ofFIG. 9 and that of FIG. 5 will be hereinafter described, and adescription of each component having the same reference sign will beomitted.

In the MIS transistor 61 shown in FIG. 9, a gate insulation film 62formed on the inner surface of the gate trench 35 has a two-layerstructure consisting of an SiO₂ film and a high-k film in a part on theside surface 37 of the gate trench 35, and has a single-layer structureconsisting of only the high-k film in a part on the bottom surface 38.

In other words, in the third preferred embodiment, the high-k film isformed only at a part contiguous to the bottom surface 38 of the gatetrench 35 and a part contiguous to the corner portions 36 of both endsthereof in the gate insulation film 62.

FIG. 10A to FIG. 10I are schematic sectional views showing a part ofsteps of producing the trench-gate type MIS transistor of FIG. 9, andeach view shows a cutting plane at the same position as in FIG. 9.

To produce the MIS transistor 61, SiC crystals are grown on the surface(Si plane) 26 of the SiC substrate 25 while being doped with n typeimpurities (for example, N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus), As (arsenic),etc.) according to an epitaxial growth method, such as the CVD method,the LPE method, or the MBE method, as shown in FIG. 10A. As a result,the n⁻ type SiC epitaxial layer 28 is formed on the SiC substrate 25.

Thereafter, p type impurities (for example, Al (aluminum), B (boron),etc.) are implanted into the SiC epitaxial layer 28 from the surface 29of the SiC epitaxial layer 28.

Thereafter, n type impurities are implanted into the SiC epitaxial layer28 from the surface 29 of the SiC epitaxial layer 28.

Thereafter, the SiC epitaxial layer 28 is heat-treated at, for example,1400° C. to 2000° C. As a result, ions of the p type and n typeimpurities implanted into the surface layer part of the SiC epitaxiallayer 28 are activated, and, in accordance with impurity-implantedareas, the body region 32, the source region 34, and the guard ring 47are simultaneously formed. The drift region 33 maintaining a statewithout being changed after epitaxial growth is formed at a base layerpart of the SiC epitaxial layer 28.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10B, the SiC epitaxial layer 28 is etchedby use of a mask that has an opening in an area in which the gate trench35 and the source trench 41 are to be formed. As a result, the SiCepitaxial layer 28 undergoes dry etching from the surface (Si plane) 29,and the gate trench 35 and the source trench 41 are simultaneouslyformed. At the same time, many unit cells are formed in the SiCepitaxial layer 28. For example, a mixed gas (SF₆/O₂ gas) containing SF₆(sulfur hexafluoride) and O₂ (oxygen) or a mixed gas (SF₆/O₂/HBr gas)containing SF₆, O₂, and HBr (hydrogen bromide) can be used as theetching gas.

Thereafter, p type impurities are implanted into the drift region 33from the bottom surface 44 of the source trench 41. Implantation isperformed at a first stage at which ions relatively low in dose amountare implanted and at a second stage at which ions relatively high indose amount are implanted. Thereafter, the SiC epitaxial layer 28 isheat-treated at, for example, 1400° C. to 2000° C. As a result, ions ofthe p type impurities implanted into the drift region 33 are activated,and the p type region 45 and the body contact region 46 aresimultaneously formed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10C, an SiO₂ film 63 serving as a firstinsulation film is formed on the whole area of the surface 29 of the SiCepitaxial layer 28 (which includes the inner surface of the gate trench35 and the inner surface of the source trench 41) according to a thermaloxidation method.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10D, a part on the Si plane of the SiCepitaxial layer 28 in the SiO₂ film 63 is selectively removed byetching. More specifically, a part on the surface 29 of the SiCepitaxial layer 28 in the SiO₂ film 63 is removed, and a part on thebottom surface 38 of the gate trench 35 and on a partial area of thecorner portions 36 of both ends of the gate trench 35 is removed, and apart on the bottom surface 44 of the source trench 41 and on a partialarea of the corner portions 42 of both ends of the source trench 41 isremoved. As a result, the SiO₂ film 63 remains in the side surface 37 ofthe gate trench 35 and in the side surface 43 of the source trench 41,and the bottom surfaces 38 and 44 and the parts of the corner portions36 and 42 are exposed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10E, a high-k material is deposited fromabove the SiC epitaxial layer 28 according to the CVD method. As aresult, a high-k film 64 serving as a second insulation film is formedsuch that the bottom surface 38 of the gate trench 35 and the bottomsurface 44 of the source trench 41 are covered therewith, and a gateinsulation film 62 is formed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10F, the doped polysilicon material 52 isdeposited from above the SiC epitaxial layer 28 according to the CVDmethod. The polysilicon material 52 is continuously deposited until atleast the gate trench 35 and the source trench 41 are completely filledtherewith. Thereafter, the deposited polysilicon material 52 undergoesetchback until an etchback surface becomes flush with the surface 29 ofthe SiC epitaxial layer 28.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10G, only the polysilicon material 52remaining in the source trench 41 is removed by dry etching. As aresult, the gate electrode 40 made of the polysilicon material 52remaining in the gate trench 35 is formed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10H, a high-k material is deposited fromabove the SiC epitaxial layer 28 according to the CVD method. As aresult, the interlayer insulation film 48 is formed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10I, the interlayer insulation film 48 andthe gate insulation film 62 continuously undergo patterning by awell-known patterning technique. As a result, the contact hole 49 isformed in the interlayer insulation film 48 and the gate insulation film62.

Thereafter, the source electrode 50, the drain electrode 51, etc., areformed, and, as a result, the MIS transistor 61 of FIG. 9 is obtained.

The same operational effect as in the MIS transistor 21 of the secondpreferred embodiment can be fulfilled by the structure of the MIStransistor 61.

Additionally, according to the third preferred embodiment, the gateinsulation film 62 has a two-layer structure consisting of the SiO₂ filmand the high-k film in a part on the side surface 37 of the gate trench35. Therefore, the insulation film contiguous to the side surface 37 isthe SiO₂ film 63 even if the high-k film 64 with which the bottomsurface 38 and the corner portions 36 of both ends of the gate trenchare covered is made of a high-k material (e.g., HfO₂, ZrO₂, etc.,described in the second preferred embodiment) having difficulty increating a high barrier height with respect to SiC.

Therefore, the breakdown of the gate insulation film 62 in the bottomsurface 38 and the corner portions 36 of both ends at which an electricfield is liable to concentrate can be reduced while maintaining arelatively high barrier height with respect to the SiC epitaxial layer28 near the channel (the body region 32).

Additionally, according to the third preferred embodiment, the bottomsurface 38 of the gate trench 35 is formed as an Si plane, and thereforea part on the bottom surface (Si plane) 38 of the gate trench 35 in theSiO₂ film 63 becomes thinner than a part on the side surface 37 of thegate trench 35 in the SiO₂ film 63 when the SiO₂ film 63 is formed (FIG.10C). Therefore, if a gate insulation film is formed by allowing thebottom surface part of the SiO₂ film 63 to remain, the possibility thatthe breakdown of the insulation film will occur will be enhanced in thebottom surface 38 and the corner portions 36 of both ends of the gatetrench 35 at which an electric field is relatively liable toconcentrate.

Therefore, in the third preferred embodiment, a part on the bottomsurface 38 of the gate trench 35 in the SiO₂ film 63 is removed (seeFIG. 10D), and the high-k film 64 is formed such that a part exposed bythe removal of it is covered therewith (see FIG. 10E). As a result, anarea at which an electric field is liable to concentrate can be easilycovered with the high-k film 64.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic plan views of a planar-gate type MIStransistor according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, FIG. 11A being an overall view, FIG. 11B being an internalenlarged view. FIG. 12 is sectional views of the planar-gate type MIStransistor of FIGS. 11A and 11B, showing cutting planes alongcutting-plane lines D-D and E-E of FIG. 11B, respectively.

The MIS transistor 71 is a planar-gate type DMISFET in which SiC isemployed, and, as shown in FIG. 11A, is shaped like, for example, asquare chip when viewed planarly. The chip-shaped MIS transistor 71 hasa length of several millimeters (mm) in each of up, down, right, andleft directions in the sheet of FIG. 11A.

A source pad 72 is formed on the surface of the MIS transistor 71. Thesource pad 72 has a substantially square shape when viewed planarly inwhich its four corners are bent outwardly, and is formed such thatsubstantially all area of the surface of the MIS transistor 71 iscovered therewith. In the source pad 72, a removal region 73 is formednear the center of its one side. This removal region 73 is a region inwhich the source pad 72 is not formed.

A gate pad 74 is disposed in the removal region 73. A gap is madebetween the gate pad 74 and the source pad 72, which are insulated fromeach other.

Next, an internal structure of the MIS transistor 71 will be described.

The MIS transistor 71 includes an n+ type SiC substrate 75 (whoseconcentration is, for example, 1×10¹⁸ to 1×10²¹ cm⁻³). The SiC substrate75 functions as a drain of the MIS transistor 71 in the fourth preferredembodiment, and its surface (upper surface) 76 is an Si plane, whereasits reverse surface (lower surface) 77 is a C plane.

An n⁻ type SiC epitaxial layer 78 (whose concentration is, for example,1×10¹⁵ to 1×10¹⁷ cm⁻³) that has a lower concentration than the SiCsubstrate 75 is stacked on the surface 76 of the SiC substrate 75. Thethickness of the SiC epitaxial layer 78 serving as a breakdown voltageholding layer is, for example, 1 μm to 100 μm. The SiC epitaxial layer78 is formed on the SiC substrate 75 by means of so-called epitaxialgrowth. In the SiC epitaxial layer 78 formed on the surface 76 that isan Si plane, the Si plane is grown as a growth principal plane.Therefore, the surface 79 of the SiC epitaxial layer 78 formed by growthis an Si plane in the same way as the surface 76 of the SiC substrate75.

As shown in FIG. 11A, an active region 80 that is disposed at thecentral part of the SiC epitaxial layer 78 when viewed planarly and thatfunctions as the MIS transistor 71 and a transistor-surrounding region81 that surrounds the active region 80 are formed in the MIS transistor71.

Many p type body regions 82 (whose concentration is, for example,1.0×10¹⁶ cm⁻³ to 1.0×10¹⁹ cm⁻³) are formed and arranged at a surfacelayer part of the SiC epitaxial layer 78 in the active region 80 in amatrix manner in row-wise and column-wise directions at constantpitches. Each body region 82 has a square shape when viewed planarly,and has a length of, for example, about 7.2 μm in each of up, down,right, and left directions in the sheet of FIG. 11B.

On the other hand, the region closer to the SiC substrate 75 than thebody region 82 in the SiC epitaxial layer 78 is an n⁻ type drift region83 in which a state without being changed after epitaxial growth ismaintained.

A p⁺ type body contact region 84 (whose concentration is, for example,1.0×10¹⁸ cm⁻³ to 2.0×10²¹ cm⁻³) is formed at the central part of eachbody region 82, and an n⁺ type source region 85 (whose concentration is,for example, 1.0×10¹⁸ cm⁻³ to 1.0×10²¹ cm⁻³) is formed in such a manneras to surround the body contact region 84. The body contact region 84has a square shape when viewed planarly, and has a length of, forexample, about 1.6 μm in each of up, down, right, and left directions inthe sheet of FIG. 11B.

The source region 85 has a square annular shape when viewed planarly,and has a length of, for example, about 5.7 μm in each of up, down,right, and left directions in the sheet of FIG. 11B.

In the active region 80, each region between the body regions 82arranged in a matrix manner at constant pitches (each body-to-bodyregion sandwiched between the side surfaces of the body regions 82 nextto each other) is grid-like, and has a predetermined width (for example,2.8 μm).

A grid-like gate insulation film 86 is formed on the body-to-bodyregions and along the body-to-body regions. The gate insulation film 86stretches between the body regions 82 next to each other, and covers apart surrounding the source region 85 in the body region 82 (i.e., aperipheral edge of the body region 82) and an outer peripheral edge ofthe source region 85. The gate insulation film 86 is made of a high-kmaterial (SiN, Al₂O₃, AlON, etc.), and has a substantially uniformthickness of about 400 Å.

A gate electrode 87 is formed on the gate insulation film 86. The gateelectrode 87 is formed in a grid-like manner along the grid-like gateinsulation film 86, and faces the peripheral edge of each body region 82with the gate insulation film 86 therebetween. The gate electrode 87 ismade of polysilicon, and is doped with, for example, highly-concentratedp type impurities. The thickness of the gate electrode 87 is, forexample, about 6000 Å.

In the MIS transistor 71, a boundary between unit cells is set at thecenter in a width direction of the body-to-body region. Each unit cellhas a length of about 10 μm in each of up, down, right, and leftdirections in the sheet of FIG. 11B. In each unit cell, the depthdirection of the body region 82 is a gate length direction, and thecircumferential direction of the body region 82 perpendicular to thegate length direction is a gate width direction.

In the transistor-surrounding region 81, a plurality of p type guardrings 88 (four in the fourth preferred embodiment) are formed at thesurface layer part of the SiC epitaxial layer 78 apart from the activeregion 80 in such a way as to surround the unit cells (the active region80) arranged in a matrix manner. These guard rings 88 can be formedthrough the same ion implantation step as the step of forming the p typebody region 82.

Each guard ring 88 is formed to have a planarly-viewed quadrangularannular shape along the outer periphery of the MIS transistor 71 whenviewed planarly. The depth of the guard ring 88 from the surface 79 ofthe SiC epitaxial layer 78 is substantially the same as that of the bodyregion 82, and is, for example, 2000 Å or more, and is, preferably, 3000Å to 10000 Å.

An interlayer insulation film 89 is stacked on the SiC epitaxial layer78 such that the gate electrode 87 is covered therewith. The interlayerinsulation film 89 is made of a high-k material (e.g., SiN, Al₂O₃, orAlON).

A contact hole 90 by which the source region 85 and the body contactregion 84 are exposed is formed in the interlayer insulation film 89 andthe gate insulation film 86.

A source electrode 91 serving as a first electrode is formed on theinterlayer insulation film 89. The source electrode 91 is in contactwith the body contact regions 84 and the source regions 85 of all unitcells through each contact hole 90 in the lump. In other words, thesource electrode 91 serves as a wire shared among all unit cells.

An interlayer insulation film (not shown) is formed on the sourceelectrode 91, and the source electrode 91 is electrically connected tothe source pad 72 (see FIG. 11A) through this interlayer insulation film(not shown). On the other hand, the gate pad 74 (see FIG. 11A) iselectrically connected to the gate electrode 87 through a gate wire (notshown) laid on this interlayer insulation film (not shown).

The source electrode 91 has a structure in which, for example, a Ti/TiNlayer and an Al layer are stacked in order from the contact side withthe SiC epitaxial layer 78.

A drain electrode 92 serving as a second electrode is formed on thereverse surface 77 of the SiC substrate 75 such that the whole area ofthe reverse surface 77 is covered therewith. This drain electrode 92 isan electrode shared among all unit cells. A laminated structure(Ti/Ni/Au/Ag) in which, for example, Ti, Ni, Au, and Ag are stacked inorder from the side of the SiC substrate 75 can be employed as the drainelectrode 92.

In the MIS transistor 71, a voltage greater than a threshold voltage isapplied to the gate electrode 87 in a state in which a predeterminedpotential difference has been generated between the source electrode 91and the drain electrode 92 (at a source-drain interval). As a result, anannular channel is formed at the peripheral edge of the body region 82of each unit cell. Thus, electrons (carriers) move from the sourceelectrode 91 to the drain electrode 92 through the source region 85, thechannel, and the drift region 83 in the active region 80, and anelectric current flows.

FIG. 13A to FIG. 13D are schematic sectional views showing a part ofsteps of producing the planar-gate type MIS transistor of FIG. 12, andeach view shows a cutting plane at the same position as in FIG. 12.

To produce the MIS transistor 71, SiC crystals are grown on the surface(Si plane) 76 of the SiC substrate 75 while being doped with n typeimpurities (for example, N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus), As (arsenic),etc.) according to an epitaxial growth method, such as the CVD method,the LPE method, or the MBE method, as shown in FIG. 13A. As a result, ann⁻ type SiC epitaxial layer 78 is formed on the SiC substrate 75.

Thereafter, p type impurities (for example, Al (aluminum), B (boron),etc.) are implanted into the SiC epitaxial layer 78 from the surface 79of the SiC epitaxial layer 78.

Thereafter, n type impurities are implanted into the SiC epitaxial layer78 from the surface 79 of the SiC epitaxial layer 78.

Thereafter, p type impurities are implanted into the SiC epitaxial layer78 from the surface 79 of the SiC epitaxial layer 78.

Thereafter, the SiC epitaxial layer 78 is heat-treated at, for example,1400° C. to 2000° C. As a result, ions of the p type and n typeimpurities implanted into the surface layer part of the SiC epitaxiallayer 78 are activated, and, in accordance with impurity-implantedareas, the body region 82, the body contact region 84, the source region85, and the guard ring 88 are simultaneously formed. The drift region 83maintaining a state without being changed after epitaxial growth isformed at a base layer part of the SiC epitaxial layer 78.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13B, a high-k material is deposited fromabove the SiC epitaxial layer 78 according to the CVD method.Thereafter, this high-k material undergoes patterning by a well-knownpatterning technique. As a result, the gate insulation film 86 isformed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13C, a doped polysilicon material isdeposited from above the SiC epitaxial layer 78 according to the CVDmethod. Thereafter, this polysilicon material undergoes patterning bythe well-known patterning technique. As a result, the gate electrode 87is formed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13D, a high-k material is deposited fromabove the SiC epitaxial layer 78 according to the CVD method. As aresult, the interlayer insulation film 89 is formed.

Thereafter, the interlayer insulation film 89 and the gate insulationfilm 86 continuously undergo patterning, and hence the contact hole 90is formed, and the source electrode 91, the drain electrode 92, etc.,are formed, and, as a result, the MIS transistor 71 of FIG. 12 isobtained.

As described above, according to the fourth preferred embodiment, thegate insulation film 86 and the interlayer insulation film 89 that arecontiguous to the SiC epitaxial layer 78 are made of a high-k material(e.g., SiN, Al₂O₃, or AlON). Therefore, as is proven by a comparisonbetween Formulas (1) and (2) in the first preferred embodiment, anelectric field E_(High-k) to be applied to the gate insulation film 86and the interlayer insulation film 89 can be weakened even if a greatreverse voltage is applied between the source electrodes 91 and thedrain electrode 92 so that an avalanche breakdown occurs. As a result,the breakdown of the gate insulation film 86 and the breakdown of theinterlayer insulation film 89 can be reduced. Therefore, a MIStransistor having high avalanche resistance can be provided.

Particularly in a planar-gate type structure, such as that of the MIStransistor 71 of the fourth preferred embodiment, an electric field isliable to concentrate at the transistor-surrounding region 81 thatsurrounds the active region 80.

Therefore, if the whole of the interlayer insulation film 89 is made ofa high-k material as in the fourth preferred embodiment, the interlayerinsulation film 89 made of the high-k material can also be brought intocontact with the transistor-surrounding region 81 of the SiC epitaxiallayer 78. Therefore, the breakdown of the interlayer insulation film 89can be effectively reduced.

FIGS. 14A and 14B are schematic plan views of a trench-gate type MIStransistor 101 according to a fifth preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, FIG. 14A being an overall view, FIG. 14B being an internalenlarged view. FIG. 15 is sectional views of the trench-gate type MIStransistor of FIGS. 14A and 14B, showing cutting planes alongcutting-plane lines F-F, G-G, and H-H of FIG. 14B, respectively.

The MIS transistor 101 is a trench-gate type DMISFET (Double diffusedMetal Insulator Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) in which SiC isemployed, and, as shown in FIG. 14A, is shaped like, for example, asquare chip when viewed planarly.

The chip-shaped MIS transistor 101 has a length of several millimeters(mm) in each of up, down, right, and left directions in the sheet ofFIG. 14A.

A source pad 102 is formed on the surface of the MIS transistor 101. Thesource pad 102 has a substantially square shape when viewed planarly inwhich its four corners are bent outwardly, and is formed such thatsubstantially all area of the surface of the MIS transistor 101 iscovered therewith. In the source pad 102, a removal region 103 is formednear the center of its one side. This removal region 103 is a region inwhich the source pad 102 is not formed.

A gate pad 104 is disposed in the removal region 103. A gap is madebetween the gate pad 104 and the source pad 102, which are insulatedfrom each other.

Next, an internal structure of the MIS transistor 101 will be described.

The MIS transistor 101 includes an n⁺ type SiC substrate 105 (whoseconcentration is, for example, 1×10¹⁸ to 1×10²¹ cm⁻³). The SiC substrate105 functions as a drain of the MIS transistor 101 in the fifthpreferred embodiment, and its surface (upper surface) 106 is an Siplane, whereas its reverse surface (lower surface) 107 is a C plane.

An n⁻ type SiC epitaxial layer 108 (whose concentration is, for example,1×10¹⁵ to 1×10¹⁷ cm⁻³) that has a lower concentration than the SiCsubstrate 105 is stacked on the surface 106 of the SiC substrate 105.The thickness of the SiC epitaxial layer 108 serving as a semiconductorlayer is, for example, 1 μm to 100 μm. The SiC epitaxial layer 108 isformed on the SiC substrate 105 by means of so-called epitaxial growth.In the SiC epitaxial layer 108 formed on the surface that is an Siplane, the Si plane is grown as a growth principal plane. Therefore, thesurface 109 of the SiC epitaxial layer 108 formed by growth is an Siplane in the same way as the surface 106 of the SiC substrate 105.

As shown in FIG. 14A, an active region 110 that is disposed at thecentral part of the SiC epitaxial layer 108 when viewed planarly andthat functions as the MIS transistor 101 and a transistor-surroundingregion 111 that surrounds the active region 110 are formed in the MIStransistor 101.

In the active region 110, a gate trench 112 is formed in the SiCepitaxial layer 108 in a grid-like manner (see FIG. 14B). The SiCepitaxial layer 108 is partitioned by the gate trench 112 into aplurality of cells 113 each of which has a quadrangular shape (a squareshape).

The cells 113 include a Schottky cell 114 and a pn diode cell 115 thatis relatively smaller in plane area than the Schottky cell 114. Forexample, the Schottky cell 114 has an area equivalent to that of four pndiode cells 115, and the length of one side of the Schottky cell 114 isequivalent to twice the length of one side of the pn diode cell 115.More specifically, the pn diode cell 115 dimensionally has a length ofabout 6 μm in each of up, down, right, and left directions in the sheetof FIG. 14B, whereas the Schottky cell 114 dimensionally has a length ofabout 12 μm in each direction.

One cell group consists of one Schottky cell 114 and a plurality of pndiode cells 115 (twelve pn diode cells 115 in this preferred embodiment)encircling the one Schottky cell 114, and the cell groups are arrangedin a matrix manner. The pn diode cells 115 are shared between theadjoining cell groups. In other words, the pn diode cells 115 encirclingthe Schottky cell 114 of a certain cell group are used also as the pndiode cells 115 encircling the Schottky cell 114 of one cell group nextto the certain cell group.

The SiC epitaxial layer 108 has, in order from its surface side (109) toits reverse surface side (116), an n⁺ type source region 117 (whoseconcentration is, for example, 1×10¹⁸ to 1×10²¹ cm⁻³), a p type bodyregion 118 (whose concentration is, for example, 1.0×10¹⁶ cm⁻³ to1.0×10¹⁹ cm⁻³), and a drift region 119 that are elements shared betweenthe Schottky cell 114 and the pn diode cell 115.

The drift region 119 is an n⁻ type region maintaining a state withoutbeing changed after epitaxial growth, and is connected integrally at thebottom portions of all cells 113, and is shared thereamong. In otherwords, the gate trench 112 exposes the source region 117 and the bodyregion 118 to the side surface 124, and partitions each cell 113 so thatits deepest part is positioned at a halfway part of the drift region119.

The thus formed gate trench 112 includes a linear portion 120 thatextends linearly in the row-wise direction and in the column-wisedirection along four side surfaces of each cell 113 through each spacebetween the adjoining cells 113 and an intersection portion 121 at whichthe linear portion 120 extending in the row-wise direction and thelinear portion 120 extending in the column-wise direction intersect.

A gate insulation film 122 made of a high-k material (SiN, Al₂O₃, AlON,etc.) is formed on the inner surface of the gate trench 112 such thatits whole area is covered therewith. The gate insulation film 122 hasits part on a bottom surface 123 of the gate trench 112 thicker than itspart on a side surface 124 of the gate trench 112.

The inside of the gate insulation film 122 in the gate trench 112 iscompletely filled with polysilicon, and, as a result, the gate electrode125 is buried in the gate trench 112. A structure of the vertical MIStransistor 101 (first and second MIS transistor structures) is thuscreated in which the source region 117 and the drift region 119 aredisposed apart from each other with the body region 118 therebetween inthe vertical direction perpendicular to the surface 109 of the SiCepitaxial layer 108 in each Schottky cell 114 and each pn diode cell115.

An HD source trench 126 that serves as a second source trenchsquare-shaped when viewed planarly and that reaches the drift region 119from the surface 109 of the SiC epitaxial layer 108 through the sourceregion 117 and the body region 118 is formed in the central part of theSchottky cell 114 (see a G-G cross section and an H-H cross section ofFIGS. 14B and 15). The depth of the HD source trench 126 is the same asthat of the gate trench 112.

A p type HD breakdown voltage holding region (a second breakdown voltageholding region) 127 (whose concentration is, for example, 1×10¹⁷ to9×10¹⁹ cm⁻³) is formed at the HD source trench 126. The HD breakdownvoltage holding region 127 is formed by allowing the side surface 129and the bottom surface 128 of the HD source trench 126 to intersect witheach other, and has an annular shape so as to reach an annular edge part130 surrounding the periphery of the bottom surface 128 and so as toreach the body region 118 exposed to the side surface 129 of the HDsource trench 126 from the edge part 130. As a result, a Schottky region131 that is made of a part of the drift region 119 and that issquare-shaped when viewed planarly is formed at the central part of thebottom surface 128 of the HD source trench 126 surrounded by the HDbreakdown voltage holding region 127.

The Schottky region 131 is formed with an area in which a depletionlayer generated from a pn junction portion (a body diode 132) betweenthe Schottky region 131 and the HD breakdown voltage holding region 127is not connected to another, and the length L₁ of its one side is, forexample, 4 μm or more.

On the other hand, a Di source trench 133 that serves as a first sourcetrench square-shaped when viewed planarly and that reaches the driftregion 119 from the surface 109 of the SiC epitaxial layer 108 throughthe source region 117 and the body region 118 is formed in the centralpart of the pn diode cell 115 (see the F-F cross section and the H-Hcross section of FIGS. 14B and 15). The depth of the Di source trench133 is the same as that of the gate trench 112. The area of the Disource trench 133 is smaller than that of the Schottky region 131, andthe length L₂ of its one side is about 3 μm.

A p type Di breakdown voltage holding region 134 (a first breakdownvoltage holding region) 134 (whose concentration is, for example, 1×10¹⁷to 9×10¹⁹ cm⁻³) is formed at the Di source trench 133. The Di breakdownvoltage holding region 134 is formed on the whole of a bottom surface135 of the Di source trench 133 and is formed by allowing the bottomsurface 135 and a side surface 136 to intersect with each other, and hasa vessel shape so as to reach an annular edge part 137 surrounding theperiphery of the bottom surface 135 and the body region 118 exposed tothe side surface 136 of the Di source trench 133 from the edge part 137.

Additionally, a p⁺ type bottom body contact region 138 (whoseconcentration is, for example, 1.0×10¹⁸ cm⁻³ to 2.0×10²¹ cm⁻³) is formedat a surface layer part of the Di breakdown voltage holding region 134in the central part of the bottom surface 135 in the Di source trench133. An electrode is brought into ohmic contact with the bottom bodycontact region 138, and, as a result, a contact can be made with thebody region 118 of the pn diode cell 115 through the Di breakdownvoltage holding region 134 (i.e., an electrical contact can be made).

The Di breakdown voltage holding region 134 is formed at the Di sourcetrench 133, and therefore the pn diode cell 115 contains a body diode139 that is arranged by the pn junction between the Di breakdown voltageholding region 134 and the drift region 119 and that includes the bottombody contact region 138 serving as an anode-side contact and the SiCsubstrate 105 serving as a cathode-side contact.

A G breakdown voltage holding region (relay region) 140 is formed ateach intersection portion 121 of the gate trench 112 that makespartition into the cells 113.

The G breakdown voltage holding region 140 is formed on the whole of thebottom surface 123 of the gate trench 112 in the intersection portion121, and is formed to lead from the bottom surface 123 to a corner edge141 of the gate trench 112 formed at the lower part of each cornerportion of each cell 113 facing the intersection portion 121 and to thebody region 118 directly above the corner edge 141.

In other words, the G breakdown voltage holding region 140 is formed ina square shape slightly larger than the intersection portion 121 of thegate trench 112 when viewed planarly, and each corner thereof enterseach corner portion of each cell 113 facing the intersection portion121. The concentration of the G breakdown voltage holding region 140 ishigher than that of the body region 118, and is higher than that of thedrift region 119, and is, for example, 1×10¹⁷ to 9×10¹⁹ cm⁻³.

The relay of the G breakdown voltage holding region 140 makes itpossible to make a contact with the HD breakdown voltage holding region127 of the Schottky cell 114 through the bottom body contact region138→the Di breakdown voltage holding region 134→the body region 118 ofthe pn diode cell 115→the G breakdown voltage holding region 140→thebody region 118 of the Schottky cell 114 as shown by the solid arrow ofthe H-H cross section of FIG. 15.

In the transistor-surrounding region 111, a plurality of p type guardrings 142 (four in the fifth preferred embodiment) are formed at thesurface layer part of the SiC epitaxial layer 108 apart from the activeregion 110 in such a way as to surround the active region 110. Theseguard rings 142 can be formed through the same ion implantation step asthe step of forming the p type body region 118. Each guard ring 142 isformed to have a planarly-viewed quadrangular annular shape along theouter periphery of the MIS transistor 101 when viewed planarly.

An interlayer insulation film 143 made of a high-k material (SiN, Al₂O₃,AlON, etc.) is stacked on the SiC epitaxial layer 108 such that the gateelectrode 125 is covered therewith.

Contact holes 144 and 145 larger in diameter than the HD source trench126 and the Di source trench 133 are formed in the interlayer insulationfilm 143 and the gate insulation film 122.

A source electrode 146 is formed on the interlayer insulation film 143.The source electrode 146 enters all the HD source trenches 126 and theDi source trenches 133 through the contact holes 144 and 145 in thelump.

In the Schottky cell 114, the source electrode 146 is in contact withthe Schottky region 131, the HD breakdown voltage holding region 127,and the source region 117 in order from the bottom side of the HD sourcetrench 126. Additionally, in the pn diode cell 115, this is in contactwith the bottom body contact region 138, the Di breakdown voltageholding region 134, and the source region 117 in order from the bottomside of the Di source trench 133. In other words, the source electrode146 serves as a wire shared among all the cells 113.

The interlayer insulation film 143 (not shown) is formed on the sourceelectrode 146, and the source electrode 146 is electrically connected tothe source pad 102 (see FIG. 14A) through this interlayer insulationfilm 143 (not shown). On the other hand, the gate pad 104 (see FIG. 14A)is electrically connected to the gate electrode 125 through a gate wire(not shown) laid on the interlayer insulation film 143 (not shown).

The source electrode 146 has a polysilicon layer 147 serving as abarrier forming layer, an intermediate layer 148, and a metal layer 149in order from the contact side with the SiC epitaxial layer 108.

The polysilicon layer 147 is a doped layer formed by use of dopedpolysilicon that has been doped with impurities, and is ahighly-concentrated doped layer that has been doped withhighly-concentrated impurities of, for example, 1×10¹⁵ cm⁻³ or more and,preferably, 1×10¹⁹ to 1×10²¹ cm⁻³. N type impurities, such as N(nitrogen), P (phosphorus), and As (arsenic), or p type impurities, suchas Al (aluminum) and B (boron), can be used as impurities when thepolysilicon layer 147 is formed to be a doped layer (including ahighly-concentrated doped layer). The thickness of the polysilicon layer147 is, for example, 5000 Å to 10000 Å.

In the fifth preferred embodiment, the polysilicon layer 147 is formedin such a way as to cover the whole area of the surface of the cell 113exposed in the contact holes 144 and 145, and is in contact with all ofthe Schottky region 131, the HD breakdown voltage holding region 127,and the source region 117 in the HD source trench 126 and in contactwith all of the bottom body contact region 138, the Di breakdown voltageholding region 134, and the source region 117 in the Di source trench133.

In the Schottky cell 114, the polysilicon layer 147 makes a Schottkyjunction with the source region 117. As a result, the polysilicon layer147 forms a heterojunction (for example, the height of a junctionbarrier is 1 eV to 1.5 eV) having a smaller junction barrier thandiffusion potential (for example, 2.8 eV to 3.2 eV) of a body diode 150contained in the Schottky cell 114 and in the pn diode cell 115 (i.e., adiode formed by a pn junction between the body region 118 and the driftregion 119) between the Schottky region 131 and the polysilicon layer147. As a result, in the Schottky cell 114, a heterojunction diode (HD)151 is formed between the source electrode 146 and the Schottky region131.

Additionally, the polysilicon layer 147 makes an ohmic contact betweenthe bottom body contact region 138 and the source region 117 in the pndiode cell 115.

The intermediate layer 148 is the metal layer 149 stacked on thepolysilicon layer 147, and consists of a single layer that contains Ti(titanium) or consists of multiple layers that contain Ti. The layercontaining Ti can be made by use of, for example, Ti or TiN (titaniumnitride). The thickness of the intermediate layer 148 is, for example,200 nm to 500 nm.

The metal layer 149 is stacked on the intermediate layer 148, and can bemade of, for example, Al (aluminum), Au (gold), Ag (silver), Cu(copper), Mo (molybdenum), an alloy of these metals, or a metal materialcontaining these metals. The metal layer 149 is used as a topmost layerof the source electrode 146. The thickness of the metal layer 149 is,for example, 1 μm to 5 μm.

In the fifth preferred embodiment, the polysilicon layer 147, theintermediate layer 148, and the metal layer 149 mentioned above arecombined together so as to have a laminated structure(polysilicon/Ti/TiN/Al) in which polysilicon (polysilicon layer 147), Ti(intermediate layer 148), TiN (intermediate layer 148), and Al (metallayer 149) are stacked in this order. Preferably, the metal layer 149has an Mo layer in addition thereto. Mo has a high melting point, andtherefore, if the Mo layer is contained in the metal layer 149, themetal layer 149 can be restrained from being melted by heat generatedwhen a high current flows through the source electrode 146.

A drain electrode 152 is formed on the reverse surface 107 of the SiCsubstrate 105 such that the whole area of the reverse surface 107 iscovered therewith. This drain electrode 152 is an electrode shared amongall the cells 113. A laminated structure (Ti/Ni/Au/Ag) in which, forexample, Ti, Ni, Au, and Ag are stacked in order from the side of theSiC substrate 105 can be employed as the drain electrode 152.

This MIS transistor 101 is used as, for example, a switching device fora driving circuit (inverter circuit) of an electric motor (one exampleof an inductive load). In this case, switching between turn-on andturn-off of an electric current that is applied to the electric motor isperformed by turn-on and turn-off of a predetermined voltage (voltagegreater than a gate threshold voltage) applied onto the gate pad 104 ina state in which a drain voltage by which the drain side becomespositive is applied between the source pad 102 (source electrode 146)and the drain electrode 152 (i.e., is applied to the source-draininterval).

When an electric current flowing through the electric motor isinterrupted (i.e., when a gate voltage is turned off), a counterelectromotive force is generated in a motor coil of the electric motor.There is a case in which a voltage by which the source side becomespositive is applied to the source-drain interval because of this counterelectromotive force.

In this case, if an electric current flows to the motor coil in the formof, for example, a return current by the rectifying operation of thebody diode 150, the following defects will be produced.

In detail, there is a case in which, when holes move from the p typebody region 118 that is a component of the body diode 150 to the n typedrift region 119 so that an electric current flows, many carriers, i.e.,many electrons and holes that have moved from the p type body region 118recombine together near the gate trench 112 (for example, beside thegate trench 112) in the n type drift region 119. Therefore, there is afear that the crystal defect of SiC of the SiC epitaxial layer 108 willexpand in a direction parallel to the layered direction of the SiCepitaxial layer 108 because of energy generated by their recombination,and will reach the route (for example, channel) of a drain currentduring an ON state. If so, there is a fear that on-resistance will risewhen the MIS transistor 101 forms a channel near the side surface 124 ofthe gate trench 112 in the body region 118 and performs a switchingoperation.

Therefore, in the MIS transistor 101, the polysilicon layer 147 makes aheterojunction with respect to the drift region 119 (Schottky region131), and the heterojunction diode 151 is contained. Therefore, anelectric current preferentially flows to the heterojunction diode 151,and an electric current flowing to the body diode 150 can be reduced oreliminated. Thus, the electric current that has flowed through the MIStransistor 101 can be allowed to flow to the electric motor in the formof, for example, a return current.

Thus, during an OFF state, an electric current flows to theheterojunction diode 151 formed in the HD source trench 126 at thecenter of the Schottky cell 114, and therefore carriers hardly move nearthe gate trench 112 (i.e., between the p type body region 118 and the ntype drift region 119). Therefore, holes and electrons can be preventedfrom recombining together in the drift region 119. As a result, thecrystal defect of SiC can be restrained from expanding in the SiCepitaxial layer 108, and therefore the on-resistance of the transistorcan be restrained from rising. Additionally, an electric current flowingto the body diode 150 can be reduced or eliminated, and therefore theloss can be reduced when the MIS transistor 101 operates.

Moreover, in the MIS transistor 101, the length L₁ of one side of theSchottky region 131 that is a component of the heterojunction diode 151is set so that a depletion layer generated from the body diode 132 isnot connected to another. Therefore, when the heterojunction diode 151operates, its current path can be prevented from being blocked by thedepletion layer. As a result, the on-resistance of the heterojunctiondiode 151 can be lowered.

In an OFF state (i.e., when the gate voltage is 0V), an electric fieldis applied to the gate insulation film 122 interposed between the gateelectrode 125 and the SiC epitaxial layer 108.

This electric field is generated resulting from a potential differencebetween the gate electrode 125 and the SiC epitaxial layer 108. In thebottom surface 123 of the gate trench 112, equipotential surfaces havingextremely high electric potential are distributed on the assumption thatthe gate electrode 125 is a reference (0V), and the interval between theequipotential surfaces is small, and therefore an extremely largeelectric field is generated. For example, when the drain voltage is900V, an equipotential surface of 900V is distributed near the reversesurface 107 of the SiC substrate 105 contiguous to the drain electrode152, and a voltage drop occurs correspondingly to an approach from thereverse surface 107 of the SiC substrate 105 toward the surface 109 ofthe SiC epitaxial layer 108, and an equipotential surface of aboutseveral tens of volts is distributed near the bottom surface 123 of thegate trench 112. Therefore, an extremely large electric field toward thegate electrode 125 is generated in the bottom surface 123 of the gatetrench 112. Specifically in a case in which the gate trench 112 isformed in a grid-like manner and in which the quadrangular-prism-shapedcells 113 are arranged at a window part of the grid-like gate trench 112in the same way as in the MIS transistor 101, the insulation breakdownof the gate insulation film 122 is particularly liable to occur near thecorner edge 141 of the gate trench 112 formed in each corner portion ofthe cell 113.

Therefore, in the MIS transistor 101, the G breakdown voltage holdingregion 140 is formed at the corner edge 141 of the gate trench 112.Accordingly, a body diode 155 can be formed near the corner edge 141 ofthe gate trench 112 by means of a pn junction between the G breakdownvoltage holding region 140 and the drift region 119. Additionally, inthe MIS transistor 101, the HD breakdown voltage holding region 127 isformed at the edge part 130 of the HD source trench 126 of the Schottkycell 114, and the Di breakdown voltage holding region 134 is formed atthe edge part 137 and the bottom surface 135 of the Di source trench 133of the pn diode cell 115. Therefore, the annular body diode 132surrounding the edge part 130 of the HD source trench 126 can be formedby the pn junction between the HD breakdown voltage holding region 127and the drift region 119 and the pn junction between the Di breakdownvoltage holding region 134 and the drift region 119. Additionally, thevessel-shaped body diode 139 with which the bottom portion of the Disource trench 133 is covered can be formed.

The presence of the depletion layer generated in these body diodes 132and 139 can prevent an equipotential surface from entering between thegate trench 112 and the HD source trench 126 and between the gate trench112 and the Di source trench 133, and can distance it from the gateinsulation film 122. As a result, equipotential surfaces can beprevented from densely gathering near the corner edge 141 of the gatetrench 112. As a result, an electric field to be applied to the gateinsulation film 122 can be reduced, and hence the insulation breakdowncan be prevented.

Additionally, in the MIS transistor 101, a channel is not formed at thecorner portion of the cell 113 or, alternatively, an electric currentflowing through the channel is slight even if a channel is formed therealthough the G breakdown voltage holding region 140 is formed to reachthe body region 118 directly above the corner edge 141. Therefore, theeffect of preventing the breakdown of the gate insulation film 122 canbe made even higher almost without affecting device performance byforming the G breakdown voltage holding region 140 so as to reach a partdirectly above the corner edge 141 in the body region 118.

FIG. 16 is schematic sectional views of a trench-gate type MIStransistor 161 according to a sixth preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, and each view shows a cutting plane at the same position asin FIG. 15. In FIG. 16, the same reference sign as in FIG. 15 is givento each component equivalent to that of FIG. 15, and a description ofeach component having the same reference sign will be omitted.

The HD source trench 162 of the MIS transistor 161 according to thesixth preferred embodiment includes an HD upper trench (second uppertrench) 163 having a depth from the surface 109 of the SiC epitaxiallayer 108 to the body region 118 and an HD lower trench (second lowertrench) 164 that is narrower than the HD upper trench 163 and that has adepth from the body region 118 to the drift region 119 although the HDsource trench 126 has a plane shape and has its side surface providedwith no level difference in the fifth preferred embodiment mentionedabove. Accordingly, the HD source trench 162 has a two-stage structurein which the side surface of the HD upper trench 163 spreads by onestage outwardly from the side surface of the HD lower trench 164.

In a stepped part between the HD upper trench 163 and the HD lowertrench 164, the body region 118 is annularly exposed, and a p⁺ type HDbody contact region 165 is formed at its exposed part.

Likewise, the Di source trench 166 of the MIS transistor 161 includes aDi upper trench (first upper trench) 167 having a depth from the surface109 of the SiC epitaxial layer 108 to the body region 118 and a Di lowertrench (first lower trench) 168 that is narrower than the Di uppertrench 167 and that has a depth from the body region 118 to the driftregion 119. Accordingly, the Di source trench 166 has a two-stagestructure in which the side surface of the Di upper trench 167 spreadsby one stage outwardly from the side surface of the Di lower trench 168.

In a stepped part between the Di upper trench 167 and the Di lowertrench 168, the body region 118 is annularly exposed, and a p⁺ type Dibody contact region 169 is formed at its exposed part.

As described above, the same operational effect as in the aforementionedMIS transistor 101 can be fulfilled by the MIS transistor 161.

Additionally, in the MIS transistor 161, each trench 162 and 166 has atwo-stage structure, and the HD body contact region 165 and the Di bodycontact region 169 are formed, and therefore a contact can be madedirectly with the body region 118 of the Schottky cell 114 and with thebody region 118 of the pn diode cell 115. As a result, the electricpotential of the body region 118 can be accurately controlled.

Additionally, it is possible to exclude the bottom body contact region138 of the pn diode cell 115 and the G breakdown voltage holding region140 of the intersection portion 121 of the gate trench 112.

FIGS. 17A and 17B are schematic plan views of a planar-gate type MIStransistor 181 according to a seventh preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, FIG. 17A being an overall view, FIG. 17B being aninternal enlarged view. FIG. 18 is sectional views of the planar-gatetype MIS transistor 181 of FIGS. 17A and 17B, showing cutting planesalong cutting-plane lines I-I and J-J of FIG. 17B, respectively. InFIGS. 17A, 17B and 18, the same reference sign as in FIGS. 14A, 14B and15 is given to each component equivalent to that of FIGS. 14A, 14B and15, and a description of each component having the same reference signwill be omitted.

The present invention can be applied also to a planar-gate typetransistor, such as the MIS transistor 181 according to the seventhpreferred embodiment, although examples of the trench-gate type MIStransistors 101 and 161 have been taken in the fifth and sixth preferredembodiments mentioned above.

In the planer type MIS transistor 181, a gate insulation film 182 madeof a high-k material (SiN, Al₂O₃, AlON, etc.) is formed on the surface109 of the SiC epitaxial layer 108 instead of being formed on the innersurface of the gate trench 112, and a gate electrode 183 is formedthereon.

As described above, the same operational effect as in the aforementionedMIS transistor 101 can be fulfilled by the MIS transistor 181.

FIGS. 19A and 19B are schematic plan views of a trench-gate type MIStransistor 191 according to an eighth preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, FIG. 19A being an overall view, FIG. 19B being aninternal enlarged view. FIG. 20 is sectional views of the trench-gatetype MIS transistor 191 of FIGS. 19A and 19B, showing cutting planesalong cutting-plane lines K-K and L-L of FIG. 19B, respectively. InFIGS. 19A, 19B and 20, the same reference sign as in FIGS. 14A, 14B and15 is given to each component equivalent to that of FIGS. 14A, 14B and15, and a description of each component having the same reference signwill be omitted.

The area of the Schottky cell 114 and that of the pn diode cell 115 maybe equal to each other although an example in which the Schottky cell114 is larger in area than the pn diode cell 115 has been taken in thefifth to seventh preferred embodiments mentioned above.

In the MIS transistor 191 according to the eighth preferred embodiment,the planarly-viewed quadrangular Schottky cells 114 and theplanarly-viewed quadrangular pn diode cells 115 that are equal in sizeto each other are arranged in a matrix manner, and the Schottky cell 114is encircled by the pn diode cells 115.

The structure of the MIS transistor 101 in which the source region 117,the body region 118, and the drift region 119 are provided and in whichthe HD source trench 126 is formed is not formed in the Schottky cell114. The Schottky region 131 appears in the same plane as the surface109 of the SiC epitaxial layer 108.

As described above, the same operational effect as in the aforementionedMIS transistor 101 can be fulfilled by the MIS transistor 191.

Additionally, in the MIS transistor 191, the space for forming the MIStransistor structure is not required, and therefore the Schottky region131 having a sufficient area can be exposed even if the cell 113 is notlarge, and therefore the resistance of the heterojunction diode 151 canbe reduced.

In the fifth to eighth preferred embodiments mentioned above, forexample, the Schottky cell 114 may have an area equivalent to that ofnine pn diode cells 115, and the length of one side of the Schottky cell114 may be equivalent to three times the length of one side of the pndiode cell 115 as shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B.

FIGS. 22A and 22B are schematic plan views of a trench-gate type MIStransistor according to a ninth preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, FIG. 22A being an overall view, FIG. 22B being an internalenlarged view. FIG. 2 is sectional views of the trench-gate type MIStransistor of FIGS. 22A and 22B, showing cutting planes alongcutting-plane lines M-M and N-N of FIG. 22B, respectively.

The MIS transistor 201 is a trench-gate type DMISFET (Double diffusedMetal Insulator Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) in which SiC isemployed, and, as shown in FIG. 22A, is shaped like, for example, asquare chip when viewed planarly. The chip-shaped MIS transistor 201 hasa length of several millimeters (mm) in each of up, down, right, andleft directions in the sheet of FIG. 22A.

A source pad 202 is formed on the surface of the MIS transistor 201. Thesource pad 202 has a substantially square shape when viewed planarly inwhich its four corners are bent outwardly, and is formed such thatsubstantially all area of the surface of the MIS transistor 201 iscovered therewith. In the source pad 202, a removal region 203 is formednear the center of its one side. This removal region 203 is a region inwhich the source pad 202 is not formed.

A gate pad 204 is disposed in the removal region 203. A gap is madebetween the gate pad 204 and the source pad 202, which are insulatedfrom each other.

Next, an internal structure of the MIS transistor 201 will be described.

The MIS transistor 201 includes an n⁺ type SiC substrate 205 (whoseconcentration is, for example, 1×10¹⁸ to 1×10²¹ cm⁻³). The SiC substrate205 functions as a drain of the MIS transistor 201 in the ninthpreferred embodiment, and its surface (upper surface) 206 is an Siplane, whereas its reverse surface (lower surface) 207 is a C plane.

An n⁻ type SiC epitaxial layer 208 (whose concentration is, for example,1×10¹⁵ to 1×10¹⁷ cm⁻³) that has a lower concentration than the SiCsubstrate 205 is stacked on the surface 206 of the SiC substrate 205.The thickness of the SiC epitaxial layer 208 serving as a semiconductorlayer is, for example, 1 μm to 100 μm. The SiC epitaxial layer 208 isformed on the SiC substrate 205 by means of so-called epitaxial growth.In the SiC epitaxial layer 208 formed on the surface 206 that is an Siplane, the Si plane is grown as a growth principal plane. Therefore, thesurface 209 of the SiC epitaxial layer 208 formed by growth is an Siplane in the same way as the surface 206 of the SiC substrate 205.

As shown in FIG. 22A, an active region 210 that is disposed at thecentral part of the SiC epitaxial layer 208 when viewed planarly andthat functions as the MIS transistor 201 and a transistor-surroundingregion 211 that surrounds the active region 210 are formed in the MIStransistor 201.

Many p type body regions 212 (whose concentration is, for example,1.0×10¹⁶ cm⁻³ to 1.0×10¹⁹ cm⁻³) are formed and arranged at a surfacelayer part of the SiC epitaxial layer 208 in the active region 210 in amatrix manner in row-wise and column-wise directions at constantpitches. Each body region 212 has a square shape when viewed planarly,and has a length of, for example, about 7.2 μm in each of up, down,right, and left directions in the sheet of FIG. 22B.

On the other hand, the region closer to the SiC substrate 205 than tothe body region 212 in the SiC epitaxial layer 208 is an n⁻ type driftregion 213 in which a state without being changed after epitaxial growthis maintained.

An n⁺ type source region 214 (whose concentration is, for example,1×10¹⁸ to 1×10²¹ cm³) is formed in a substantially whole area closer tothe surface 209 in each body region 212.

A gate trench 215 that reaches the drift region 213 from the surface 209of the SiC epitaxial layer 208 through each source region 214 and eachbody region 212 is formed in a grid-like manner in such a way as tosurround each body region 212.

Specifically, the gate trench 215 includes a linear portion 216 thatextends linearly in the row-wise direction and in the column-wisedirection along four side surfaces of each body region 212 through eachspace between the adjoining body regions 212 and an intersection portion217 at which the linear portion 216 extending in the row-wise directionand the linear portion 216 extending in the column-wise directionintersect. When attention is paid to the body regions 212 arranged intwo rows and in two columns when viewed planarly, the intersectionportion 217 is a square-shaped portion, when viewed planarly, that issurrounded by the inner corners of the thus-arranged four body regions212 and that is partitioned by extension lines of the four sides of thebody region 212. The gate trench 215 has a cross section of the letter Uin which the side surface 218 and the bottom surface 219 that face eachother are continuous surfaces through a curved plane.

As a result, many unit cells 221 each of which has a rectangularparallelepiped shape (a square shape when viewed planarly) and each ofwhich has four corner portions 220 in each window part surrounded by thegrid-like gate trench 215 are formed in the SiC epitaxial layer 208. Inthe unit cell 221, the depth direction of the gate trench 215 is a gatelength direction, and the circumferential direction of each unit cell221 perpendicular to the gate length direction is a gate widthdirection.

A gate insulation film 222 made of a high-k material (SiN, Al₂O₃, AlON,etc.) is formed on the inner surface of the gate trench 215 such thatits whole area is covered therewith.

The inside of the gate insulation film 222 is completely filled with apolysilicon material doped with highly-concentrated n type impurities,and, as a result, a gate electrode 223 is buried in the gate trench 215.A vertical MIS transistor structure is thus created in which the sourceregion 214 and the drift region 213 are arranged apart from each otherwith the body region 212 therebetween in a vertical directionperpendicular to the surface 209 of the SiC epitaxial layer 208.

A source trench 224 that has a square shape when viewed planarly andthat reaches the drift region 213 from the surface 209 of the SiCepitaxial layer 208 through each source region 214 and each body region212 is formed in the central part of each unit cell 221. The depth ofthe source trench 224 is the same as that of the gate trench 215 in theninth preferred embodiment. The gate trench 224 has a cross section ofthe letter U in which the side surface 225 and the bottom surface 226that face each other are continuous surfaces through a curved plane inthe same way as the gate trench 215.

A p type gate breakdown voltage holding region 227 and a sourcebreakdown voltage holding region 228 serving as a first breakdownvoltage holding region are formed in the SiC epitaxial layer 208 byimplanting p type impurities into the SiC epitaxial layer 208.

The gate breakdown voltage holding region 227 is formed along thegrid-like gate trench 215, and integrally includes a first region 229serving as a second breakdown voltage holding region formed at theintersection portion 217 of the gate trench 215 and a second region 230serving as a third breakdown voltage holding region formed at the linearportion 216 of the gate trench 215.

The first region 229 is formed to reach the body region 212 disposeddirectly above the corner edge 231 through the bottom surface 219 of thegate trench 215 in the intersection portion 217 and through the corneredge 231 of the gate trench 215 formed at the lower part of each cornerportion 220 of the four unit cells 221 facing the intersection portion217 from the bottom surface 219. In other words, the first region 229 isformed in a square shape slightly larger than the intersection portion217 of the gate trench 215 when viewed planarly, and its each cornerenters each corner portion 220 of the four unit cells 221 facing theintersection portion 217. The concentration of the first region 229 ishigher than that of the body region 212, and is higher than that of thedrift region 213, and is, for example, 1×10¹⁷ to 9×10¹⁹ cm⁻³. Thethickness Ti along a direction toward the SiC substrate 205 from thebottom surface of the gate trench 215 in the first region 229 is, forexample, about 0.8 μm.

The second region 230 is formed to have a linear shape having a constantwidth by which the centers of the sides of the adjoining intersectionportions 217 are connected together when viewed planarly, and has awidth (for example, 0.8 μm) narrower than the width of the linearportion 216 (distance between the side surfaces of the gate trench 215facing each other, for example, 1 μm). The concentration of the secondregion 230 is higher than that of the body region 212, and is higherthan that of the first region 229, and is, for example, 2×10¹⁷ to 1×10²⁹cm⁻³. The thickness T₂ along a direction toward the SiC substrate 205from the bottom surface of the gate trench 215 in the second region 230is smaller than the thickness T₁ of the first region 229 (i.e., T₁>T₂),and is, for example, about 0.7 μm.

The source breakdown voltage holding region 228 is formed to reach anedge part 232 of the source trench 224 at which the bottom surface 226and the side surface 225 intersect and reach the body region 212 forminga part of the side surface 225 of the source trench 224 from the edgepart 232 so as to expose the bottom surface 226 of the source trench224.

As a result, a drift exposure region 233 that has a square shape whenviewed planarly and that consists of a part of the drift region 213 isformed at the central part of the bottom surface 226 of the sourcetrench 224.

The concentration of the source breakdown voltage holding region 228 isequal to that of the first region 229 of the gate breakdown voltageholding region 227 (for example, 1×10¹⁷ to 9×10¹⁹ cm³). The thickness T₃along a direction toward the SiC substrate 205 from the bottom surfaceof the source trench 224 in the source breakdown voltage holding region228 is equal to the thickness T₁ of the first region 229 of the gatebreakdown voltage holding region 227 (for example, about 0.8 μm).

In the transistor-surrounding region 211, a plurality of p type guardrings 234 (four in the ninth preferred embodiment) are formed at thesurface layer part of the SiC epitaxial layer 208 apart from the activeregion 210 in such a way as to surround the unit cells 221 (the activeregion 210) arranged in a matrix manner. These guard rings 234 can beformed through the same ion implantation step as the step of forming thep type body region 212.

Each guard ring 234 is formed to have a planarly-viewed quadrangularannular shape along the outer periphery of the MIS transistor 201 whenviewed planarly.

An interlayer insulation film 235 made of a high-k material (SiN, Al₂O₃,AlON, etc.) is stacked on the SiC epitaxial layer 208 such that the gateelectrode 223 is covered therewith.

A contact hole 236 larger in diameter than the source trench 224 isformed in the interlayer insulation film 235 and the gate insulationfilm 222. As a result, the whole of the source trench 224 of each unitcell 221 (i.e., the side surface 225 and the bottom surface 226 of thesource trench 224) and the peripheral edge of the source trench 224 inthe surface 209 of the SiC epitaxial layer 208 are exposed in thecontact hole 236, and a level difference corresponding to a differencein level between the surface 209 and the bottom surface 226 is formed.

A source electrode 237 is formed on the interlayer insulation film 235.The source electrode 237 enters the source trenches 224 of all unitcells 221 through each contact hole 236 in the lump, and, in each unitcell 221, is in contact with the drift exposure region 233, the sourcebreakdown voltage holding region 228, the body region 212, and thesource region 214 in order from the bottom side of the source trench224. In other words, the source electrode 237 serves as a wire sharedamong all unit cells 221.

An interlayer insulation film (not shown) is formed on the sourceelectrode 237, and the source electrode 237 is electrically connected tothe source pad 202 (see FIG. 22A) through this interlayer insulationfilm (not shown). On the other hand, the gate pad 204 (see FIG. 22A) iselectrically connected to the gate electrode 223 through a gate wire(not shown) laid on this interlayer insulation film (not shown).

The source electrode 237 has a polysilicon layer 238 serving as abarrier forming layer, an intermediate layer 239, and a metal layer 240in order from the contact side with the SiC epitaxial layer 208.

The polysilicon layer 238 is a doped layer formed by use of dopedpolysilicon that has been doped with impurities, and is ahighly-concentrated doped layer that has been doped withhighly-concentrated impurities of, for example, 1×10¹⁵ cm⁻³ or more and,preferably, 1×10¹⁹ to 1×10²¹ cm⁻³. N type impurities, such as N(nitrogen), P (phosphorus), and As (arsenic), or p type impurities, suchas Al (aluminum) and B (boron), can be used as impurities when thepolysilicon layer 238 is formed to be a doped layer (including ahighly-concentrated doped layer). The thickness of the polysilicon layer238 is, for example, 5000 Å to 10000 Å.

In the ninth preferred embodiment, the polysilicon layer 238 is formedin such a way as to cover the whole area of the surface of the unit cell221 exposed in the contact hole 236, and is in contact with all of thedrift exposure region 233, the source breakdown voltage holding region228, and the source region 214 in the source trench 224.

In other words, the polysilicon layer 238 has a first part 241 that isin contact with the source breakdown voltage holding region 228 in theside surface 225 of the source trench 224 and that is in contact withthe source region 214 in the peripheral edge of the source trench 224 inthe side surface 225 and the surface 209 of the SiC epitaxial layer 208,and has a second part 242 that is in contact with the drift exposureregion 233 in the bottom surface 226 of the source trench 224.

In the polysilicon layer 238, the first part 241 makes an ohmic contactboth with the source breakdown voltage holding region 228 and with thesource region 214. On the other hand, the second part 242 makes aheterojunction (for example, the height of a junction barrier is 1 eV to1.5 eV) having a smaller junction barrier than diffusion potential (forexample, 2.8 eV to 3.2 eV) of a body diode 243 contained in the MIStransistor 201 (i.e., a pn diode formed by a junction between the bodyregion 212 and the drift region 213) between the drift exposure region233 and the second part 242.

The intermediate layer 239 is a metal layer stacked on the polysiliconlayer 238, and consists of a single layer that contains Ti (titanium) orconsists of multiple layers that contain Ti. The layer containing Ti canbe made by use of, for example, Ti or TiN (titanium nitride). Thethickness of the intermediate layer 239 is, for example, 200 nm to 500nm.

The metal layer 240 is stacked on the intermediate layer 239, and can bemade of, for example, Al (aluminum), Au (gold), Ag (silver), Cu(copper), Mo (molybdenum), an alloy of these metals, or a metal materialcontaining these metals. The metal layer 240 is used as a topmost layerof the source electrode 237. The thickness of the metal layer 240 is,for example, 1 μm to 5 μm.

In the ninth preferred embodiment, the polysilicon layer 238, theintermediate layer 239, and the metal layer 240 mentioned above arecombined together so as to have a laminated structure(Poly-Si/Ti/TiN/Al) in which Poly-Si (polysilicon layer 238), Ti(intermediate layer 239), TiN (intermediate layer 239), and Al (metallayer 240) are stacked in this order. Preferably, the metal layer 240has an Mo layer in addition thereto. Mo has a high melting point, andtherefore, if the Mo layer is contained in the metal layer 240, themetal layer 240 can be restrained from being melted by heat generatedwhen a high current flows through the source electrode 237.

A drain electrode 244 is formed on the reverse surface 207 of the SiCsubstrate 205 such that the whole area of the reverse surface 207 iscovered therewith. This drain electrode 244 is an electrode shared amongall the unit cells 221. A laminated structure (Ti/Ni/Au/Ag) in which,for example, Ti, Ni, Au, and Ag are stacked in order from the side ofthe SiC substrate 205 can be employed as the drain electrode 244.

This MIS transistor 201 is used as, for example, a switching device fora driving circuit (inverter circuit) of an electric motor (one exampleof an inductive load). In this case, switching between turn-on andturn-off of an electric current that is applied to the electric motor isperformed by turn-on and turn-off of a predetermined voltage (voltagegreater than a gate threshold voltage) applied onto the gate pad 204 ina state in which a drain voltage by which the drain side becomespositive is applied between the source pad 202 (source electrode 237)and the drain electrode 244 (i.e., is applied to the source-draininterval).

When an electric current flowing through the electric motor isinterrupted (i.e., when a gate voltage is turned off), a counterelectromotive force is generated in a motor coil of the electric motor.There is a case in which a voltage by which the source side becomespositive is applied to the source-drain interval because of this counterelectromotive force.

In this case, if an electric current flows to the motor coil in the formof, for example, a return current by the rectifying operation of thebody diode 243, the following defects will be produced.

In detail, there is a case in which, when holes move from the p typebody region 212 that is a component of the body diode 243 to the n typedrift region 213 so that an electric current flows, many carriers, i.e.,many electrons and holes that have moved from the p type body region 212recombine together near the gate trench 215 (for example, beside thegate trench 215) in the n type drift region 213. Therefore, there is afear that the crystal defect of SiC of the SiC epitaxial layer 208 willexpand in a direction parallel to the layered direction of the SiCepitaxial layer 208 because of energy generated by their recombination,and will reach the route (for example, channel) of a drain currentduring an ON state. If so, there is a fear that on-resistance will risewhen the MIS transistor 201 forms a channel near the side surface 218 ofthe gate trench 215 in the body region 212 and performs a switchingoperation.

Therefore, in the ninth preferred embodiment, the polysilicon layer 238makes a heterojunction with respect to the drift region 213 (the driftexposure region 233). Therefore, an electric current preferentiallyflows to the heterojunction part between the drift region 213 and thesecond part 242 of the polysilicon layer 238, and an electric currentflowing to the body diode 243 can be reduced or eliminated. Thus, theelectric current that has flowed through the MIS transistor 201 can beallowed to flow to the electric motor in the form of, for example, areturn current.

Thus, during an OFF state, an electric current flows to the drift region213 from the second part 242 of the polysilicon layer 238 formed in thesource trench 224 at the center of the unit cell 221 surrounded by thegate trench 215, and therefore carriers hardly move near the gate trench215 (i.e., between the p type body region 212 and the n type driftregion 213). Therefore, holes and electrons can be prevented fromrecombining together in the drift region 213. As a result, the crystaldefect of SiC can be restrained from expanding in the SiC epitaxiallayer 208, and therefore the on-resistance of the transistor 201 can berestrained from rising.

In an OFF state (i.e., when the gate voltage is 0V), an electric fieldis applied to the gate insulation film 222 interposed between the gateelectrode 223 and the SiC epitaxial layer 208.

This electric field is generated resulting from a potential differencebetween the gate electrode 223 and the SiC epitaxial layer 208. In thebottom surface 219 of the gate trench 215, equipotential surfaces havingextremely high electric potential are distributed on the assumption thatthe gate electrode 223 is a reference (0V), and the interval between theequipotential surfaces is small, and therefore an extremely largeelectric field is generated. For example, when the drain voltage is900V, an equipotential surface of 900V is distributed near the reversesurface 207 of the SiC substrate 205 contiguous to the drain electrode244, and a voltage drop occurs correspondingly to an approach from thereverse surface 207 of the SiC substrate 205 toward the surface 209 ofthe SiC epitaxial layer 208, and an equipotential surface of aboutseveral tens of volts is distributed near the bottom surface 219 of thegate trench 215. Therefore, an extremely large electric field toward thegate electrode 223 is generated in the bottom surface 219 of the gatetrench 215. Specifically in a case in which the gate trench 215 isformed in a grid-like manner and in which the quadrangular-prism-shapedunit cells 221 are arranged at a window part of the grid-like gatetrench 215 in the same way as in the ninth preferred embodiment, theinsulation breakdown of the gate insulation film 222 is particularlyliable to occur near the corner edge 231 of the gate trench 215 formedin each corner portion 220 of the unit cell 221.

Specifically, the distance Di between the source trenches 224 next toeach other on the diagonal of the intersection portion 217 of the gatetrench 215 (see the M-M cross section of FIG. 23) becomes greater thanthe distance D₂ between the source trenches 224 next to each other withthe linear portion 216 of the gate trench 215 therebetween (see the N-Ncross section of FIG. 23) (for example, the distance Di is 1.4 times thedistance D₂ in the ninth preferred embodiment). Therefore, equipotentialsurfaces enter an area directly under the corner edge 231 of the gatetrench 215 having a relatively wide space, and densely gather thereat.As a result, the insulation breakdown of the gate insulation film 222 isparticularly liable to occur near the corner edge 231 of the gate trench215.

Therefore, in the MIS transistor 201 of the ninth preferred embodiment,the gate breakdown voltage holding region 227 (first region 229) isformed at the corner edge 231 of the gate trench 215. Accordingly, abody diode 248 can be formed near the corner edge 231 of the gate trench215 by means of a junction (pn junction) between the first region 229and the drift region 213. Additionally, in the MIS transistor 201, thesource breakdown voltage holding region 228 is formed at the edge part232 of the source trench 224 formed at the central part of each unitcell 221.

Therefore, an annular body diode 249 surrounding the edge part 232 ofthe source trench 224 can be formed by a junction (pn junction) betweenthe source breakdown voltage holding region 228 and the drift region213.

The presence of a depletion layer generated in these body diodes 248 and249 can prevent an equipotential surface from entering between thecorner edge 231 of the gate trench 215 and the edge part 232 of thesource trench 224, and can distance it from the gate insulation film222. As a result, equipotential surfaces can be prevented from denselygathering near the corner edge 231 of the gate trench 215. As a result,an electric field to be applied to the gate insulation film 222 can bereduced, and hence the insulation breakdown can be restrained.Additionally, the concentration of the first region 229 is higher thanthat of the drift region 213, and therefore a depletion layer generatedby a junction (pn junction) between the first region 229 and the driftregion 213 can be prevented from excessively spreading in the SiCepitaxial layer 208.

Additionally, in the MIS transistor 201, a channel is not formed at thecorner portion 220 of the unit cell 221 or, alternatively, an electriccurrent flowing through the channel is slight even if a channel isformed there although the first region 229 is formed to reach the bodyregion 212 directly above the corner edge 231 through the corner edge231. Therefore, the effect of preventing the breakdown of the insulationfilm 222 can be made even higher almost without affecting deviceperformance by forming the gate breakdown voltage holding region 227(first region 229) so as to reach a part directly above the corner edge231 in the body region 212.

On the other hand, the gate breakdown voltage holding region 227 (secondregion 230) smaller in width than the linear portion 216 is formed atthe linear portion 216 of the gate trench 215. As a result, a depletionlayer to be generated by a junction (pn junction) between the secondregion 230 and the drift region 213 can be allowed to occur along thelinear portion 216 of the gate trench 215. Therefore, an electric fieldgenerated directly under the linear portion 216 of the gate trench 215can be moderated by this depletion layer. As a result, an electric fieldgenerated in the gate insulation film 222 can be evenly moderated overthe whole.

Moreover, the gate breakdown voltage holding region 227 (second region230) is not formed at the side surface 218 (i.e., part at which achannel is formed in the unit cell 221) of the linear portion 216 of thegate trench 215. Therefore, channel characteristics can also becontrolled accurately.

Additionally, the concentration of the second region 230 is higher thanthat of the first region 229, and the thickness T₂ of the second region230 is smaller than the thickness T₁ of the first region 229 (T₁>T₂),and therefore channel resistance can be prevented from rising.

Additionally, the gate breakdown voltage holding region 227 and thesource breakdown voltage holding region 228 can be simultaneously formedaccording to the aforementioned production method. As a result, thestructure of the MIS transistor 201 to prevent the insulation breakdownof the gate insulation film 222 can be easily created.

FIGS. 24A and 24B are schematic plan views of a planar-gate type MIStransistor according to a tenth preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, FIG. 24A being an overall view, FIG. 24B being an internalenlarged view. FIG. 25 is sectional views of the planar-gate type MIStransistor of FIGS. 24A and 24B, showing cutting planes alongcutting-plane lines O-O and P-P of FIG. 24B, respectively.

The MIS transistor 251 is a planar-gate type DMISFET in which SiC isemployed, and, as shown in FIG. 24A, is shaped like, for example, asquare chip when viewed planarly. The chip-shaped MIS transistor 251 hasa length of several millimeters (mm) in each of up, down, right, andleft directions in the sheet of FIG. 24A.

A source pad 252 is formed on the surface of the MIS transistor 251. Thesource pad 252 has a substantially square shape when viewed planarly inwhich its four corners are bent outwardly, and is formed such thatsubstantially all area of the surface of the MIS transistor 251 iscovered therewith. In the source pad 252, a removal region 253 is formednear the center of its one side. This removal region 253 is a region inwhich the source pad 252 is not formed.

A gate pad 254 is disposed in the removal region 253. A gap is madebetween the gate pad 254 and the source pad 252, which are insulatedfrom each other.

Next, an internal structure of the MIS transistor 251 will be described.

The MIS transistor 251 includes an n⁺ type SiC substrate 255 (whoseconcentration is, for example, 1×10¹⁸ to 1×10²¹ cm⁻³). The SiC substrate255 functions as a drain of the MIS transistor 251 in the tenthpreferred embodiment, and its surface (upper surface) 256 is an Siplane, whereas its reverse surface (lower surface) 257 is a C plane.

An n⁻ type SiC epitaxial layer 258 (whose concentration is, for example,1×10¹⁵ to 1×10¹⁷ cm⁻³) that has a lower concentration than the SiCsubstrate 255 is stacked on the surface 256 of the SiC substrate 255.The thickness of the SiC epitaxial layer 258 serving as a semiconductorlayer is, for example, 1 μm to 100 μm. The SiC epitaxial layer 258 isformed on the SiC substrate 255 by means of so-called epitaxial growth.In the SiC epitaxial layer 258 formed on the surface 256 that is an Siplane, the Si plane is grown as a growth principal plane. Therefore, thesurface 259 of the SiC epitaxial layer 258 formed by growth is an Siplane in the same way as the surface 256 of the SiC substrate 255.

As shown in FIG. 24A, an active region 260 that is disposed at thecentral part of the SiC epitaxial layer 258 when viewed planarly andthat functions as the MIS transistor 251 and a transistor-surroundingregion 261 that surrounds the active region 260 are formed in the MIStransistor 251.

Many p type body regions 262 (whose concentration is, for example,1.0×10¹⁶ cm⁻³ to 1.0×10¹⁹ cm⁻³) are formed and arranged at a surfacelayer part of the SiC epitaxial layer 258 in the active region 260 in amatrix manner in row-wise and column-wise directions at constantpitches. Each body region 262 has a square shape when viewed planarly,and has a length of, for example, about 7.2 μm in each of up, down,right, and left directions in the sheet of FIG. 24B.

On the other hand, the region closer to the SiC substrate 255 than tothe body region 262 in the SiC epitaxial layer 258 is an n⁻ type driftregion 263 in which a state without being changed after epitaxial growthis maintained.

An n⁺ type source region 264 (whose concentration is, for example,1×10¹⁸ to 1×10²¹ cm⁻³) is formed in a substantially whole area closer tothe surface 259 in each body region 262.

In the active region 260, each region (a body-to-body region 265)between the body regions 262 arranged in a matrix manner at constantpitches is grid-like, and has a predetermined width (for example, 2.8μm).

Specifically, the body-to-body region 265 includes a linear portion 266that extends linearly in the row-wise direction and in the column-wisedirection along four side surfaces of each body region 262 through eachspace between the adjoining body regions 262 and an intersection portion267 at which the linear portion 266 extending in the row-wise directionand the linear portion 266 extending in the column-wise directionintersect. When attention is paid to the body regions 262 arranged intwo rows and in two columns when viewed planarly, the intersectionportion 267 is a square-shaped portion, when viewed planarly, that issurrounded by the inner corners of the thus-arranged four body regions262 and that is partitioned by extension lines of the four sides of thebody region 262.

As a result, many unit cells 271 each of which has a square shape whenviewed planarly and each of which has four corner portions 270 in eachwindow part surrounded by the grid-like body-to-body region 265 areformed in the SiC epitaxial layer 258. In other words, a boundarybetween the unit cells 271 is set at the center in a width direction ofthe body-to-body region 265. Each unit cell has a length of about 10 μmin each of up, down, right, and left directions in the sheet of FIG.24B. In each unit cell 271, the depth direction of the body region 262is a gate length direction, and the circumferential direction of thebody region 262 perpendicular to the gate length direction is a gatewidth direction.

A grid-like gate insulation film 272 is formed on the body-to-bodyregions 265 and along the body-to-body regions 265. The gate insulationfilm 272 stretches between the body regions 262 next to each other, andcovers a part surrounding the source region 264 in the body region 262(i.e., a peripheral edge of the body region 262) and an outer peripheraledge of the source region 264. The gate insulation film 272 is made of ahigh-k material (SiN, Al₂O₃, AlON, etc.), and has a substantiallyuniform thickness of about 400 Å.

A gate electrode 273 is formed on the gate insulation film 272. The gateelectrode 273 is formed in a grid-like manner along the grid-like gateinsulation film 272, and faces the peripheral edge of each body region262 with the gate insulation film 272 therebetween. The gate electrode273 is made of polysilicon, and is doped with, for example,highly-concentrated n type impurities. The thickness of the gateelectrode 273 is, for example, about 6000 Å.

A source trench 274 that has a square shape when viewed planarly andthat reaches the drift region 263 from the surface 259 of the SiCepitaxial layer 258 through each source region 264 and each body region262 is formed in the central part of each unit cell 271. The sourcetrench 274 has a cross section of the letter U in which the side surface275 and the bottom surface 276 that face each other are continuoussurfaces through a curved plane.

A p type gate breakdown voltage holding region 277 and a sourcebreakdown voltage holding region 278 serving as a first breakdownvoltage holding region are formed in the SiC epitaxial layer 258 byimplanting p type impurities into the SiC epitaxial layer 258.

The gate breakdown voltage holding region 277 is formed along thegrid-like body-to-body region 265, and integrally includes a firstregion 279 serving as a fourth breakdown voltage holding region formedat the intersection portion 267 of the body-to-body region 265 and asecond region 280 serving as a fifth breakdown voltage holding regionformed at the linear portion 266 of the body-to-body region 265.

The first region 279 is formed to reach a corner part 281 of the bodyregion 262 formed at each corner portion 270 of four unit cells 271facing the intersection portion 267. In other words, the first region279 is formed in a square shape slightly larger than the intersectionportion 267 of the body-to-body region 265 when viewed planarly, and itseach corner enters each corner portion 270 of the four unit cells 271facing the intersection portion 267. The concentration of the firstregion 279 is higher than that of the body region 262, and is higherthan that of the drift region 263, and is, for example, 1×10¹⁸ to 1×10¹⁹cm⁻³. The thickness T₄ along a direction toward the SiC substrate 255from the surface 259 of the SiC epitaxial layer 258 in the first region279 is, for example, about 0.8 μm.

The second region 280 is formed to have a linear shape having a constantwidth by which the centers of the sides of the adjoining intersectionportions 267 are connected together when viewed planarly, and has awidth (for example, 1.5 μm) narrower than the width of the linearportion 266 (for example, 3.0 μm). The concentration of the secondregion 280 is higher than that of the body region 262, and is higherthan that of the first region 279, and is, for example, 2×10¹⁸ to 2×10¹⁹cm⁻³. The thickness T₅ along a direction toward the SiC substrate 255from the surface 259 of the SiC epitaxial layer 258 in the second region280 is smaller than the thickness T₄ of the first region 279 (i.e.,T₄≥T₅).

The source breakdown voltage holding region 278 is formed to reach anedge part 282 of the source trench 274 at which the bottom surface 276and the side surface 275 intersect and reach the body region 262 forminga part of the side surface 275 of the source trench 274 from the edgepart 282 so as to expose the bottom surface 276 of the source trench274.

As a result, a drift exposure region 283 that has a square shape whenviewed planarly and that consists of a part of the drift region 263 isformed at the central part of the bottom surface 276 of the sourcetrench 274.

The concentration of the source breakdown voltage holding region 278 isequal to that of the first region 279 of the gate breakdown voltageholding region 277 (for example, 1×10¹⁸ to 1×10¹⁹ cm⁻³). The thicknessT₆ along a direction toward the SiC substrate 255 from the bottomsurface of the source trench 274 in the source breakdown voltage holdingregion 278 is, for example, about 0.8 μm, and the deepest part of thesource breakdown voltage holding region 278 is disposed to be deeperthan the deepest part of the gate breakdown voltage holding region 277(the first region 279 and the second region 280).

In the transistor-surrounding region 261, a plurality of p type guardrings 284 (four in the tenth preferred embodiment) are formed at thesurface layer part of the SiC epitaxial layer 258 apart from the activeregion 260 in such a way as to surround the unit cells 271 (the activeregion 260) arranged in a matrix manner. These guard rings 284 can beformed through the same ion implantation step as the step of forming thep type body region 262.

Each guard ring 284 is formed to have a planarly-viewed quadrangularannular shape along the outer periphery of the MIS transistor 251 whenviewed planarly.

An interlayer insulation film 285 made of a high-k material (SiN, Al₂O₃,AlON, etc.) is stacked on the SiC epitaxial layer 258 such that the gateelectrode 273 is covered therewith.

A contact hole 286 larger in diameter than the source trench 274 isformed in the interlayer insulation film 285 and the gate insulationfilm 272. As a result, the whole of the source trench 274 of each unitcell 271 (i.e., the side surface 275 and the bottom surface 276 of thesource trench 274) and the peripheral edge of the source trench 274 inthe surface 259 of the SiC epitaxial layer 258 are exposed in thecontact hole 286, and a level difference corresponding to a differencein level between the surface 259 and the bottom surface 276 is formed.

A source electrode 287 is formed on the interlayer insulation film 285.The source electrode 287 enters the source trenches 274 of all unitcells 271 through each contact hole 286 in the lump, and, in each unitcell 271, is in contact with the drift exposure region 283, the sourcebreakdown voltage holding region 278, the body region 262, and thesource region 264 in order from the bottom side of the source trench274. In other words, the source electrode 287 serves as a wire sharedamong all unit cells 271.

An interlayer insulation film (not shown) is formed on the sourceelectrode 287, and the source electrode 287 is electrically connected tothe source pad 252 (see FIG. 24A) through this interlayer insulationfilm (not shown). On the other hand, the gate pad 254 (see FIG. 24A) iselectrically connected to the gate electrode 273 through a gate wire(not shown) laid on this interlayer insulation film (not shown).

The source electrode 287 has a polysilicon layer 288 serving as abarrier forming layer, an intermediate layer 289, and a metal layer 290in order from the contact side with the SiC epitaxial layer 258.

The polysilicon layer 288 is a doped layer formed by use of dopedpolysilicon that has been doped with impurities, and is ahighly-concentrated doped layer that has been doped withhighly-concentrated impurities of, for example, 1×10¹⁵ cm⁻³ or more and,preferably, 1×10¹⁹ to 1×10²¹ cm⁻³. N type impurities, such as N(nitrogen), P (phosphorus), and As (arsenic), or p type impurities, suchas Al (aluminum) and B (boron), can be used as impurities when thepolysilicon layer 288 is formed to be a doped layer (including ahighly-concentrated doped layer). The thickness of the polysilicon layer288 is, for example, 5000 Å to 10000 Å.

In the tenth preferred embodiment, the polysilicon layer 288 is formedin such a way as to cover the whole area of the surface of the unit cell271 exposed in the contact hole 286, and is in contact with all of thedrift exposure region 283, the source breakdown voltage holding region278, and the source region 264 in the source trench 274.

In other words, the polysilicon layer 288 has a first part 291 that isin contact with the source breakdown voltage holding region 278 in theside surface 275 of the source trench 274 and that is in contact withthe source region 264 in the peripheral edge of the source trench 274 inthe side surface 275 and the surface 259 of the SiC epitaxial layer 258and a second part 292 that is in contact with the drift exposure region283 in the bottom surface 276 of the source trench 274.

In the polysilicon layer 288, the first part 291 makes an ohmic contactboth with the source breakdown voltage holding region 278 and with thesource region 264. On the other hand, the second part 292 makes aheterojunction (for example, the height of a junction barrier is 1 eV to1.5 eV) having a smaller junction barrier than diffusion potential (forexample, 2.8 eV to 3.2 eV) of a body diode 293 contained in the MIStransistor 251 (i.e., a pn diode formed by a junction between the sourcebreakdown voltage holding region 278 and the drift region 263) betweenthe drift exposure region 283 and the second part 292.

The intermediate layer 289 is a metal layer stacked on the polysiliconlayer 288, and consists of a single layer that contains Ti (titanium) orconsists of multiple layers that contain Ti. The layer containing Ti canbe made by use of, for example, Ti or TiN (titanium nitride). Thethickness of the intermediate layer 289 is, for example, 200 nm to 500nm.

The metal layer 290 is stacked on the intermediate layer 289, and can bemade of, for example, Al (aluminum), Au (gold), Ag (silver), Cu(copper), Mo (molybdenum), an alloy of these metals, or a metal materialcontaining these metals. The metal layer 290 is used as a topmost layerof the source electrode 287. The thickness of the metal layer 290 is,for example, 1 μm to 5 μm.

In the tenth preferred embodiment, the polysilicon layer 288, theintermediate layer 289, and the metal layer 290 mentioned above arecombined together so as to have a laminated structure(Poly-Si/Ti/TiN/Al) in which Poly-Si (polysilicon layer 288), Ti(intermediate layer 289), TiN (intermediate layer 289), and Al (metallayer 290) are stacked in this order. Preferably, the metal layer 290has an Mo layer in addition thereto. Mo has a high melting point, andtherefore, if the Mo layer is contained in the metal layer 290, themetal layer 290 can be restrained from being melted by heat generatedwhen a high current flows through the source electrode 287.

A drain electrode 294 is formed on the reverse surface 257 of the SiCsubstrate 255 such that the whole area of the reverse surface 257 iscovered therewith. This drain electrode 294 is an electrode shared amongall the unit cells 271. A laminated structure (Ti/Ni/Au/Ag) in which,for example, Ti, Ni, Au, and Ag are stacked in order from the side ofthe SiC substrate 255 can be employed as the drain electrode 294.

The same operational effect as in the MIS transistor 201 of the ninthpreferred embodiment can be fulfilled by the structure of the MIStransistor 251.

In other words, in the tenth preferred embodiment, the polysilicon layer288 makes a heterojunction with respect to the drift region 263 (thedrift exposure region 283). Therefore, when a counter electromotiveforce is applied to the source-drain interval, an electric currentpreferentially flows to the heterojunction part between the drift region263 and the second part 292 of the polysilicon layer 288, and anelectric current flowing to the body diode 293 can be reduced oreliminated. Thus, the electric current that has flowed through the MIStransistor 251 can be allowed to flow to the electric motor in the formof, for example, a return current.

Thus, during an OFF state, an electric current flows to the drift region263 from the second part 292 of the polysilicon layer 288 formed in thesource trench 274 at the center of the unit cell 271 surrounded by thebody-to-body region 265, and therefore carriers hardly move near thebody-to-body region 265 (i.e., between the p type body region 262 andthe n type drift region 263). Therefore, holes and electrons can beprevented from recombining together in the drift region 263. As aresult, the crystal defect of SiC can be restrained from expanding inthe SiC epitaxial layer 258, and therefore the on-resistance of thetransistor 251 can be restrained from rising.

Additionally, in an OFF state (i.e., when the gate voltage is 0V),specifically in a case in which the body-to-body region 265 is formed ina grid-like manner and in which the planarly-viewed quadrangular unitcells 271 are arranged at a window part of the grid-like body-to-bodyregion 265 in the same way as in the tenth preferred embodiment, theinsulation breakdown of the gate insulation film 272 is particularlyliable to occur near the corner part 281 of the body region 262 formedin each corner portion 270 of the unit cell 271.

Specifically, the distance D₃ between the source trenches 274 next toeach other on the diagonal of the intersection portion 267 of thebody-to-body region 265 (see the O-O cross section of FIG. 25) becomesgreater than the distance D₄ between the source trenches 274 next toeach other with the linear portion 266 of the body-to-body region 265therebetween (see the P-P cross section of FIG. 25) (for example, thedistance D₃ is 1.4 times the distance D₄ in the tenth preferredembodiment). Therefore, equipotential surfaces enter an area directlyunder the corner part 281 of the body region 262 having a relativelywide space, and densely gather thereat. As a result, the insulationbreakdown of the gate insulation film 272 is particularly liable tooccur near the corner part 281 of the body region 262.

Therefore, in the MIS transistor 251 of the tenth preferred embodiment,the gate breakdown voltage holding region 277 (first region 279) isformed at the corner part 281 of the body region 262. Accordingly, abody diode 298 can be formed near the corner part 281 of the body region262 by means of a junction (pn junction) between the first region 279and the drift region 263. Additionally, in the MIS transistor 251, thesource breakdown voltage holding region 278 is formed at the edge part282 of the source trench 274 formed at the central part of each unitcell 271. Therefore, an annular body diode 299 surrounding the edge part282 of the source trench 274 can be formed by a junction (pn junction)between the source breakdown voltage holding region 278 and the driftregion 263.

The presence of a depletion layer generated in these body diodes 298 and299 can prevent an equipotential surface from entering between thecorner part 281 of the body region 262 and the edge part 282 of thesource trench 274, and can distance it from the gate insulation film272. As a result, equipotential surfaces can be prevented from denselygathering near the corner part 281 of the body region 262. As a result,an electric field to be applied to the gate insulation film 272 can bereduced, and hence the insulation breakdown can be restrained.Additionally, the concentration of the first region 279 is higher thanthat of the drift region 263, and therefore a depletion layer generatedby a junction (pn junction) between the first region 279 and the driftregion 263 can be prevented from excessively spreading in the SiCepitaxial layer 258.

On the other hand, the gate breakdown voltage holding region 277 (secondregion 280) smaller in width than the linear portion 266 is formed atthe linear portion 266 of the body-to-body region 265. As a result, adepletion layer to be generated by a junction (pn junction) between thesecond region 280 and the drift region 263 can be allowed to occur alongthe linear portion 266 of the body-to-body region 265. Therefore, anelectric field generated directly under the linear portion 266 of thebody-to-body region 265 can be moderated by this depletion layer. As aresult, an electric field generated in the gate insulation film 272 canbe evenly moderated over the whole.

Moreover, the gate breakdown voltage holding region 277 (second region280) is not formed at the peripheral edge (i.e., part at which a channelis formed in the unit cell 271) of the body region 262. Therefore,channel characteristics can also be controlled accurately.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed as above, the present invention can be embodied in othermodes.

For example, an arrangement may be employed in which the conductivitytype of each semiconductor part of the Schottky barrier diode 1 and theMIS transistors 21, 61, 71, 101, 161, 181, 191, 201, 247, 251, and 297is inverted. For example, in the MIS transistor 21, the p type part maybe an n type part, and the n type part may be a p type part.

Additionally, in the devices 1, 21, 61, 71, 101, 161, 181, 191, 201,247, 251, and 297, a layer of which a breakdown voltage holding layerconsists may be a layer made of a wide bandgap semiconductor other thanSiC, and, more specifically, may be a layer made of GaN (bandgapEg_(GaN)=about 3.4 eV) or diamond (bandgap Eg_(dia)=about 5.5 eV)without being limited to an epitaxial layer made of SiC. Additionally,it may be a compound semiconductor typified by a Group III-V compound ora Group II-VI compound.

Additionally, another preferred embodiment of the present invention maybe carried out so that a part contiguous to a device outer-peripheralpart, such as an interlayer insulation film of a JFET (junction fieldeffect transistor), an interlayer insulation film of a bipolartransistor, or an interlayer insulation film of a thyristor, is made ofa high-k material.

The semiconductor power device of the present invention can be builtinto a power module that is used in an inverter circuit forming adriving circuit to drive an electric motor used as a power source foruse in, for example, electric vehicles (including hybrid vehicles),trains, or industrial robots. Additionally, the semiconductor powerdevice of the present invention can be built into a power module that isused in an inverter circuit in which electric power generated by solarbatteries, wind generators, or other power generators (particularly,private electric generators) is converted so as to match electric powerof a commercial power source.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention are merely specificexamples used to clarify the technical contents of the presentinvention, and the present invention should not be understood as beinglimited to these examples, and the spirit and scope of the presentinvention are to be determined solely by the appended claims.

Additionally, the components shown in each preferred embodiment of thepresent invention can be combined together within the scope of thepresent invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1 . . . Schottky barrier diode, 3 . . . Cathode electrode, 4 . . . SiCepitaxial layer, 5 . . . Active region, 7 . . . Field region, 8 . . .Field insulation film, 9 . . . Anode electrode, 10 . . . Schottky metal,12 . . . Peripheral edge (of field insulation film), 13 . . . Inner edge(of field region), 17 . . . Outer edge (of Schottky metal), 21 . . . MIStransistor, 28 . . . SiC epitaxial layer, 29 . . . Surface (of epitaxiallayer), 30 . . . Active region, 31 . . . Transistor-surrounding region,32 . . . Body region, 33 . . . Drift region, 34 . . . Source region, 35. . . Gate trench, 36 . . . Both-ends corner portion (of gate trench),37 . . . Side surface (of gate trench), 38 . . . Bottom surface (of gatetrench), 39 . . . Gate insulation film, 40 . . . Gate electrode, 41 . .. Source trench, 48 . . . Interlayer insulation film, 50 . . . Sourceelectrode, 51 . . . Drain electrode, 53 . . . Gate insulation film, 54 .. . Interlayer insulation film, 61 . . . MIS transistor, 62 . . . Gateinsulation film, 63 . . . SiO₂ film, 64 . . . High-k film, 71 . . . MIStransistor, 78 . . . SiC epitaxial layer, 79 . . . Surface (of epitaxiallayer), 80 . . . Active region, 81 . . . Transistor-surrounding region,82 . . . Body region, 83 . . . Drift region, 85 . . . Source region, 86. . . Gate insulation film, 87 . . . Gate electrode, 89 . . . Interlayerinsulation film, 91 . . . Source electrode, 92 . . . Drain electrode,101 . . . MIS transistor, 108 . . . SiC epitaxial layer, 109 . . .Surface (of epitaxial layer), 110 . . . Active region, 111 . . .Transistor-surrounding region, 112 . . . Gate trench, 117 . . . Sourceregion, 118 . . . Body region, 119 . . . Drift region, 122 . . . Gateinsulation film, 123 . . . Bottom surface (of gate trench), 124 . . .Side surface (of gate trench), 125 . . . Gate electrode, 126 . . . SBDsource trench, 143 . . . Interlayer insulation film, 152 . . . Drainelectrode, 161 . . . MIS transistor, 162 . . . SBD source trench, 166 .. . Di source trench, 181 . . . MIS transistor, 182 . . . Gateinsulation film, 183 . . . Gate electrode, 191 . . . MIS transistor, 201. . . MIS transistor, 208 . . . SiC epitaxial layer, 209 . . . Surface(of epitaxial layer), 210 . . . Active region, 211 . . .Transistor-surrounding region, 212 . . . Body region, 213 . . . Driftregion, 214 . . . Source region, 215 . . . Gate trench, 218 . . . Sidesurface (of gate trench), 219 . . . Bottom surface (of gate trench), 222. . . Gate insulation film, 223 . . . Gate electrode, 224 . . . Sourcetrench, 235 . . . Interlayer insulation film, 247 . . . MIS transistor,251 . . . MIS transistor, 258 . . . SiC epitaxial layer, 259 . . .Surface (of epitaxial layer), 260 . . . Active region, 261 . . .Transistor-surrounding region, 262 . . . Body region, 263 . . . Driftregion, 264 . . . Source region, 272 . . . Gate insulation film, 273 . .. Gate electrode, 274 . . . Source trench, 285 . . . Interlayerinsulation film, 287 . . . Source electrode, 297 . . . MIS transistor

The invention claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor device, comprising: asemiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type; a gate trenchformed at the semiconductor substrate; a gate insulating film formedalong a side of the gate trench and a bottom surface of the gate trench,and partly covering a surface of the semiconductor substrate; a gateelectrode formed so as to be buried in the gate trench; an interlayerinsulating film formed so as to cover the gate electrode and the gateinsulating film; an intermediate stacked portion formed astride thesemiconductor substrate and the interlayer insulating film; a metallayer formed on or over the intermediate stacked portion; a first sourceregion having the first conductivity type formed near the side of thegate trench from a surface of the semiconductor substrate; a first bodyregion having a second conductivity type formed under the first sourceregion, the first body region formed along the side of the gate trench;a body contact region electrically connected to the first body region ina cross sectional view; and a diode region formed at an under regionlower than the first body region in a cross sectional view.
 2. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediatestacked portion has a layer containing Ti.
 3. The semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein the layer containing Ti is a TiN layer. 4.The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the metal layeris an Al layer.
 5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4,wherein a thickness of the metal layer is about 5 μm.
 6. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a side of the gateinsulating film is flush with a side of the interlayer insulating filmon or over the semiconductor substrate.
 7. The semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the gate trenches areformed at equal intervals at a surface of the semiconductor substrate ina plan view.
 8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, furthercomprising a plurality of guard rings formed along an outer periphery ofthe semiconductor substrate at the surface of the semiconductorsubstrate in a plan view.
 9. The semiconductor device according to claim1, wherein the intermediate stacked portion is formed so as to have asubstantially uniform thickness.
 10. The semiconductor device accordingto claim 1, wherein the side of the gate trench is connected to thebottom surface of the gate trench via a curved surface in a crosssectional view.
 11. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,wherein a length of the first source region is longer than a length ofthe first body region in a cross sectional view.
 12. The semiconductordevice according to claim 11, wherein a length of the diode region islonger than a length of the first body region in a cross sectional view.13. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the firstconductivity type is an n type and the second conductivity type is a ptype.
 14. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein alength of the first body region is about 7.2 μm in a cross sectionalview.
 15. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein alength of the body contact region is about 1.6 μm in a cross sectionalview.
 16. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein alength of the first source region is about 5.7 μm in a cross sectionalview.
 17. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein aplurality of the first body region are formed with an interval of about2.8 μm in-between at the semiconductor substrate in a plan view.
 18. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a length of the dioderegion is greater than or equal to 4 μm in a cross sectional view. 19.The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness ofthe intermediate stacked portion is between 5000 Å and 10000 Å.
 20. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of theintermediate stacked portion is between 200 nm and 500 nm.
 21. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of themetal layer is between 1 μm and 0.5 μm.
 22. The semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 1, further comprising a gate withstand voltageholding region formed so as to be extended to a backside direction ofthe semiconductor substrate from the bottom surface of the gate trench.23. The semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein the gatewithstand voltage holding region having a thickness of about 0.8 μm isformed from the bottom surface of the gate trench to the backside of thesemiconductor substrate.
 24. The semiconductor device according to claim1, wherein the first source region has a substantially uniform thicknessin a cross sectional view.
 25. The semiconductor device according toclaim 1, wherein the interlayer insulating film has a convex portionwhich is formed so as to be extended to the gate trench in a crosssectional view.
 26. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,wherein a length of the bottom surface of the gate trench is longer thana length of the first body region in a cross sectional view.
 27. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductorsubstrate is a SiC substrate.
 28. The semiconductor device according toclaim 1, wherein the first source region and the first body region areformed at a first side direction of the gate trench, and a diode regionis formed at a second side direction of the gate trench, so that anasymmetrical portion formed so as to be asymmetrical with respect to thegate trench is included in the semiconductor device.
 29. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 28, further comprising a bodycontact region formed at the surface of the semiconductor substrate soas to be electrically connected to the first body region, at the firstside direction of the gate trench.
 30. The semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 29, further comprising a second source region havinga first conductivity type, formed at the second side direction of thegate trench in a cross sectional view.
 31. The semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 30, wherein the first conductivity type is an n typeand the second conductivity type is a p type.